Mortal Kombat: Desperation
by PinkRedRose2
Summary: Even with Shinnok's defeat, all is not well as Raiden's attack on Outworld forces a desperate Kotal Kahn to convince the Elder Gods to give his realm a chance to fight back against the corrupted Thunder God in Mortal Kombat. Now, friend and foe alike must work together to stop Raiden from bringing the same Armageddon he once sacrificed so much to prevent.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."  
— Friedrich Nietzsche

 **Prologue**

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Anger.

It was an emotion Kotal Kahn was all too familiar with. From the anger of his father's surrender to Shao Kahn, his father's murder at Goro's hands, D'Vorah's betrayal, and currently to his defeat at the hands of the devil Raiden. His blood boiled at the sheer humiliation and despair he felt as he dropped to his knees, panting heavily and unable to get up and keep fighting. Had he truly managed to survive so many dangerous battles in the past to protect Outworld, only to fall now?

 _You are blind to the consequences of your actions._

His father's words rang through his ears, filling him with self-loathing and a sense of pure failure on his part to keep Outworld safe. Coughing up blood, Kotal raised his head and watched what remained of his armies be defeated by their foes. A heavily wounded Reptile was pinned to the ground by a Shirai Ryu warrior who would have finished him right then and there if not for Erron Black's bullets striking him in chest, stomach, and forehead. Black started to reload his guns when a kunai attached to a metal chain impaled his shoulder from behind and yanked him backwards.

"Get over here!" Hanzo Hasashi yelled, pulling the gunslinger toward him. Black had no time to react as the former revenant's fist connected with the back of his head, followed by a kick to the stomach that sent the mercenary rolling across the ground.

Reptile rushed to his emperor's aid, or tried to anyway. The fact that the Zaterran was wounded did not help him stay on his feet when Raiden electrocuted him without mercy. Ferra/Torr attempted to charge at the thunder god, but were similarly dealt with. Ermac fought harder than the others, and was beaten harder than them as well.

For the first time in a long time, Kotal Kahn felt fear fill his heart. Any attempts to stand were met with Raiden electrocuting him into submission. Mileena would have laughed with glee if she saw her foe now, beaten to a bloody pulp and unable to protect his realm. So would Tanya and Rain, her two Edenian allies, the former desperate to get what she viewed as a free Edenia while the latter cared only for becoming Outworld's new ruler himself. Anger burned within him once more, forcing him to rise yet he fell to the ground before Raiden could consider electrocuting him again.

"You were a fool to invade Earthrealm, Kotal Kahn." The devil Raiden spoke, his tone contemptuous and sadistic."Now you will pay the price for your foolishness and arrogance. From this day forth, Outworld is under my dominion."

Kotal did not respond. The Osh-Tekk warrior could barely move, let alone speak. Only at this moment did he completely understand why his father surrendered to Shao Kahn that fateful day. At least he thought he did. His body screamed with pain every time he tried to move. Raiden watched him groan in agony, lips twisting into a smirk at the sight of his enemy so helpless and defeated.

Surrender was the emperor's only option, or was it? Raiden had defeated him yes, but how could he merge Outworld with Earthrealm, assuming that was his eventual intention, without victory in Mortal Kombat?

"No," Kotal gasped, clutching his arm as he forced himself to stand up and make eye contact with the Thunder God.

"You are either remarkably brave or remarkably foolish to continue fighting me in your injured state." Raiden scowled."Give up, Kotal Kahn. Outworld is mine."

"Over my dead body!" He growled, ignoring the blood he coughed up as well as the rapid beating of his heart."So long as I breathe, Outworld will never be yours, Thunder God!"

In desperation, he looked up at the sky and cried out to the heavens."Elder Gods, please, I beg of you, do not let this...this devil take Outworld! N-Not without first giving us a chance to defend ourselves as you did with Earthrealm. Please...aid me."

Silence followed for what like an eternity, everyone waiting to find out if the Elder Gods heard Kotal's pleas for help. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a bright light shone from the heavens around the Osh-Tekk and Thunder God, making it clear what the Elder Gods' decision was.

"So be it." Raiden nodded at Hanzo Hashashi, who released Black from his grip and ordered his fellow Shirai Ryu warriors to cease their attack.

Raiden's belligerent, red eyes glared at Kotal. The Osh-Tekk glared back, refusing to let the devil frighten him. A moment of silence followed before Raiden spoke.

"Prepare yourself, Kotal Kahn. Choose your warriors wisely, for you will soon face my challengers in Mortal Kombat."

In a flash of light, Raiden and the Shirai Ryu were gone, leaving their enemies alone for the time being. Black, Ermac, Ferra/Torr, and Reptile were able to get back up after a few minutes. Black and Ermac went to Kotal's side and helped their emperor remain on his feet despite their own injuries, receiving a grunt of appreciation in response.

"What now, big bossy?" Ferra asked, patting Torr on the head to comfort him. The large creature made a noise of approval at the affectionate gesture.

Kotal closed his eyes and sighed."Now we must prepare for the tournament." He looked over his allies, all of whom were as beaten and bloody as him. But they were also as eager for revenge as he was.

Ferra cackled while Torr roared in agreement. Black picked up one of his revolvers and spun its cylinder with what Kotal could tell was a look of irritation beneath his mask, muttering something about how he wasn't getting paid enough to deal with this kind of situation.

"We will destroy Raiden for what he has done!" Reptile hissed. Ermac did not hesitate to agree with a curt nod.

Kotal Kahn's eyes narrowed."That we will."

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 _Hi everyone! This is just another story I'm working on along with my two dragon age stories (which I'm currently reposting due to technical issues with my first account) and figured I'd try to see how well it might go. Obviously, the beginning is based on Raiden and Kotal Kahn's endings and takes place shortly after Mortal Kombat X. Several other characters from the series will appear and, possibly since I'm not 100% sure yet, a few OCs. I don't know if this story is any good or not so please let me know what you think by reviewing, leaving constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 1:Sareena_


	2. Chapter 1:Sareena

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Then you haven't lost your soul. Only a creature with a soul can tell the difference between right and wrong. Yes, you've made mistakes, but you feel guilt. You feel remorse. And if you still have your soul, you haven't lost your chance at redemption."  
— Sylvain Reynard (Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1))

 **Chapter 1:Sareena**

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 _You became too familiar with Bi-Han! Allowed emotion to corrupt you!_

 _Emotion **freed** me!_

Her argument with Kitana during their battle in the Netherrealm troubled Sareena for weeks. She told herself Kitana was not to blame, as she was under Quan Chi's influence and thus not in control of her actions. There had been a time when Sareena was the sorcerer's slave as well, just like Kitana and the other fallen heroes were. But between them there were differences: Sareena had **willingly** agreed to serve Quan Chi while Kitana was killed by her own mother, then resurrected and twisted into a cold-hearted enforcer of the sorcerer's will. Also, Sareena grew to hate herself and what she had done for Quan Chi over the years, but Kitana learned to enjoy it.

 _It suits me. I am a victim no longer._

Hearing Kitana say those words made Sareena feel torn between empathy and anger. She remembered how Quan Chi manipulated her into becoming his slave by offering to hide her hideous demon form beneath that of a beautiful woman. Kia and Jataaka were given the same offer, and did not hesitate to agree. Sareena's human form was the most attractive in Quan Chi's eyes, and so she became his concubine as well as one of his three elite lieutenants. The memories of how he would bring her into his bed and force her to pleasure him while threatening to take away her beauty if she failed him caused the demoness to shudder in disgust.

Kia and Jataaka resented her position as Quan Chi's "favorite". They were fools. Did they not realize how happily she would have traded places with them as Quan Chi's personal plaything? Kia called her unworthy of such an honor when she said this, while Jataaka believed her to be nothing more than an ungrateful witch. Sareena despised them for their arrogance and lack of understanding. Never had they wavered in their loyalty to the necromancer, no matter how horribly he treated them or how many people suffered and died because of him.

If not for Bi-Han, Sareena would have lost all hope of ever escaping that hellish place. Kia and Jataaka lay dead at the original Sub-Zero's hands, yet Sareena was spared for unknown reasons. Had he simply grown tired of killing for the day and decided not to take her life out of pity? Or had he just seen her the same way her master did, an attractive wench who, as Earthrealmers liked to say "was too beautiful to kill"? These were questions she never got answers to.

She could still remember how she fell to her knees after her defeat and gazed up at Sub-Zero, who stood over her with a look of icy irritation on his face. He looked just about ready to finish her when suddenly, his expression softened and he lowered his stance, choosing to spare her life. Sareena stared at the Lin Kuei in shock as he simply walked past her without a word and left. She attempted to follow him, but exhaustion from their fight abruptly took over and rendered her unconscious.

When she awoke, she immediately ran back to Quan Chi's chamber where she knew Sub-Zero would be. Upon seeing him put up such an impressive fight against her master, she felt hopeful that this was her chance to escape the Netherrealm and stop being that vile sorcerer's plaything. She practically bolted toward the two, and assisted a surprised Sub-Zero in defeating her former master. He asked why she had helped him. Sareena simply told him that because he was still a mortal, he could escape the Netherrealm. She asked him to take her with him, wanting to stay with the man who spared her life.

But Sareena's hope vanished when Shinnok struck her in the back with an energy bolt and destroyed her human form. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was an enraged Sub-Zero glaring at Shinnok and swearing to kill him for what he had done to her. When she awoke, she found herself robbed of her attractive disguise and instead showing her true demonic appearance. That was only part of her punishment, however. The other part was her being trapped and tortured within the fifth plane of Netherrealm for her betrayal.

She did not remember how long she remained there, only that she was tortured mercilessly and eventually gave up hope of escaping. That was until Quan Chi brought back another dead soul to be his servant. It was the same man who spared her life and whom she aided in defeating Quan Chi, but he now went by a new name: Noob Saibot.

How he recognized her in her hideous form was a mystery, seeing as she did not initially recognize him in his new dark appearance. Sareena could not forget how he approached her as she lay wounded and crying on the ground and gently picked her up before she passed out. She woke up to find him standing over her as she lay on the ground in Outworld with a portal closing behind him.

Noob Saibot then took her hand and placed it on the ground, telling her to absorb the energy of the realm if she wanted her human form back. Sareena's eyes never left his as she did what he told her to do and soon returned to her human form without the use of Quan Chi's magik.

Gratitude, confusion, and relief filled her mind as she watched Noob Saibot, formerly known as Sub-Zero, slowly stand up and turn to leave. Sareena called him by his original name, and tried to stop him from leaving. The sound of his former self's name caused him to spin around on his heel, and his fingers caught her by the throat, squeezing with enough pressure to make her turn blue before suddenly releasing her and teleporting away, leaving her alone. She never even got to thank him for his help.

That was the last time she ever saw him, and still Sareena did not understand why he chose to aid her. Was it his way of thanking her for helping him against Quan Chi? But if so, why did he not tell her? And was he not loyal to Quan Chi since the sorcerer resurrected him despite being the one who tricked Scorpion into killing him? Or was the original Sub-Zero who spared her life trapped somewhere within the evil being known as Noob Saibot? Sareena did not know, and had a feeling she never would.

"So, anyone else think we're being led to our deaths?" Cassie Cage's whisper snapped Sareena out of her thoughts.

Sareena did not respond. The demoness would be lying if she claimed she did not share the blonde's worry. Jacqui Briggs and Takeda Takahashi exchanged glances, but stayed silent. Kung Jin offered no reaction other than a sigh. Neither Nightwolf nor Enenra made any indication that they heard Cassie. The revenants only continued to lead them in chains through the hallways of the palace.

The mission was simple: go to the Netherrealm and see what the revenants were up to. Stealth was to be maintained at all times. Unfortunately, Nightwolf and Enenra quickly realized they were being followed and attacked the intruders. In desperation, Sareena managed to convince them that they meant no harm and were there to speak with their rulers, not cause any type of conflict with them. Nightwolf believed her, but Enenra was skeptical and demanded they be restrained. The group put up no fight, knowing they were in more danger here if they resisted than in Outworld.

"Think it was a good idea letting them arrest us?" Cassie asked.

"I am not sure," Sareena replied."But it is better they not consider enemies."

"Considering the fact that I kicked some of their butts during Shinnok's invasion, it'll be kinda hard for them **not** to consider us enemies."

"It's a chance we're gonna have to take, Cass," Jacqui said.

"She's right." Takeda nodded."Even if we did get away in time, they would've followed us back to Earthrealm."

"Or maybe killed us if it wasn't for Sareena explaining we were here to talk to them," Jin added.

After a few more minutes, Enenra came to a stop and nodded at Nightwolf, who released Sareena, Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin from their restraints. Stepping aside, Enenra flicked his head at the door, telling them to enter first. They looked around the throne room, awe twisting into their expressions as they saw how beautiful yet gloomy it was. Colors of gold, bronze, and red decorated everything the walls, floors, windows, and the two thrones at the front of the room. In them sat Liu Kang and Kitana, their attire fitting their new position as Emperor and Empress of the Netherrealm. Their two top generals, Kung Lao and Sindel, sat beside them.

The four seemed to have been engaged in conversation, given the way they looked up in surprise when their fellow revenants and the uninvited guests they brought with them entered the room. Kitana's eyes widened in recognition at the sight of Sareena. They quickly narrowed, her expression concealed by the mask she wore. Sindel leaned down to whisper something in her daughter's ear, receiving a nod in response. A similar expression to Kitana's crossed Kung Lao's face the moment his cousin made eye contact with him. Liu Kang chuckled humorlessly, looking up at his fellow Shaolin with a smirk.

"More uninvited guests, I presume?" Liu Kang asked calmly.

"The demoness claims that they came only to speak with you and the Empress, Emperor." Enenra explained, pushing Sareena forward lightly."Nightwolf and I agreed to take them to you only if they were restrained. They did not attempt to resist."

"Then speak," Kitana said bluntly."And be quick about it. I have no patience for more threats and lies."

"Nor do I," Liu Kang agreed, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. Kitana squeezed back.

Sareena knew of the bond between the Edenian princess and the champion of Mortal Kombat. In life, they had begun as enemies and become closer as allies. Her death had been the final straw for him. He turned against Raiden, willing to kill his former mentor if that was what was necessary to stop Shao Kahn from merging the realms. Raiden had killed him by accident while defending himself and held him in his arms as he died, continuing to blame the Thunder God for leading so many to their deaths.

Along with several others, they were resurrected by Quan Chi to serve him. The necromancer took sadistic pleasure in unleashing Raiden's former allies against him when the diety came to the Netherrealm, pleading for his aid in defeating Shao Kahn. Sareena pitied not only Kitana and Liu Kang, but all of the revenants as well as Raiden. Their sacrifices, whether they realized it or not, helped save Earthrealm, and now they were facing a fate worse than death for it. So many years in Quan Chi's service, to the point where they became cold-blooded murderers and loyal followers of Shinnok...it was a horrible thought. Sareena felt an unspeakable amount of empathy for the fallen heroes, even if they did not want any.

Cassie and Jax mentioned how Sindel believed that Quan Chi strengthened her bond with Kitana by reuniting them in death. It was a sickening thought, but in a twisted way, she was right. Through death, the revenants developed a strong bond with each other. Jax, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion hardly spoke of their own ordeals, but Sareena reminded herself that the others resided in the Netherrealm far longer than they did. Years had passed since their deaths, and they showed genuine loyalty to one another ever since. Perhaps there was hope for them after all.

Snapping herself back into reality, Sareena approached the dais and bowed deeply. She gestured for the group with her to do the same, which they did. Cassie stepped forward beside her. The two exchanged nods before the blonde spoke.

"Despite our recent conflicts with you, we didn't come here to fight. Special Forces sent us to see how things were going." Cassie struggled to remain calm as she spoke, knowing everyone's eyes were on her.

Sindel laughed, the sound a mixture of sweet and chilling."And I assume they also ordered you to attack us if you discovered anything worthy of suspicion?" The former queen placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder to bring Kitana's attention to her."It appears to me, my daughter, that the Thunder God still fears we will invade Earthrealm in spite of his recent 'gift' and warning of what shall happen if we cross him."

"Gift?" Cassie inquired, evoking another laugh from Sindel. Her fellow revenants were not amused.

"No one who serves the delusional fool that led us to our deaths can be trusted." Enenra hissed. Nightwolf narrowed his eyes, his opinion on the matter unclear. Kung Lao crossed his arms, nodding in agreement. Liu Kang and Kitana gave no reaction, but the anger boiling within both of them was undeniable.

"Look, we didn't even know Raiden was here until you told us just now," Cassie said, calm as possible."We haven't seen him since he purified the Jinsei."

"Purified?" Nightwolf was taken aback. His surprise faded into understanding as he nodded."Yes, that would explain his new appearance."

"Can someone please to us what the **hell** is going on?!" Cassie exclaimed in frustration."I mean, did Raiden do something when he came here to piss you off? Or are you just being assholes on purpose?"

"Cassie!" Sareena hissed, grasping the blonde's arm to prevent her from doing something foolish and further arousing the revenants' anger. Kitana stood up, clasping her hands behind her back as she spoke, her voice cool as ice, and deadly as the steel fans she carried.

"The Thunder God arrived here but a few days earlier. From the way he spoke, it was clear he was not himself. When he allowed us to look into his eyes, our suspicions were confirmed. His eyes...they are red whereas in the past, they were blue. His attire is also different, consisting of dark colors and his very presence is that of danger and corruption."

"Wait a sec." Jacqui stepped forward, frowning in perplexity."Are you saying that he was **corrupted** after **purifying** the Jinsei?"

"Do not feign ignorance, Jacqueline Briggs!" Kung Lao yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her."Raiden sent you here to ensure we would not ignore his warning. Do not dare deny it!"

"Lao, she's telling the truth!" Kung Jin cried, desperately trying to get through to his cousin. Takeda followed his example, nodding his head.

"Yeah, we had no idea Raiden was **corrupted** by the Jinsei," The son of Kenshi stated.

"As far as we knew, he was lucky to survive," Kung Jin added.

"Lies!" Enenra yelled."You work for the Thunder God and seek to deceive us into believing he has nothing to do with your sudden visit to our home when in reality, your goal is to destroy us!"

"No!" Sareena exclaimed, putting her hands up. She shook her head, locking eyes with Kitana in a desperate attempt to get the empress of the Netherrealm to believe her."Kitana, please..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Kitana heard her.

Whatever response the Edenian princess had to offer was interrupted by Liu Kang's voice giving the order to his fellow revenants."Kill them!"

In the blink of an eye, Enenra tackled Cassie to the floor while Nightwolf drew his tomahawk and lunged at Takeda. Sindel used her hair to yank Jacqui toward her, greeting the daughter of Jax with a kick to the face that sent her flying into the wall. Kung Jin narrowly dodged his cousin's hat as it was flung at him with the intention of decapitating him. Sareena herself had to backflip in order to avoid Kitana's steel fan aimed for her neck.

Cassie let out a scream, catching Sareena's attention. She turned to see Enenra tossing the blonde down to the floor and preparing to bring his foot down on her. Sareena drew a knife, flinging it at him. Enenra yelped when the knife pierced his shoulder, making him stagger back. Sareena crouched down to gather all of energy before shooting forward and punching Enenra hard enough to send him into the wall.

The former Lin Kuei was quick to recover. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but Sareena knew he was still there. In less than a second, she felt a fist connect with the back of her head, followed by his arms wrapping around her waist and him performing a German Suplex which slammed her head into the ground. A cry of agony escaped the demonness's lips. Enenra laughed sadistically, enjoying the pain he inflicted on his opponent. He kicked her in the stomach, winding her. Sareena moaned and clutched her stomach. Enenra raised his leg, bringing it down toward Sareena...

...only for her to roll away in time and sweep him off his feet. He rose with a growl and proceeded to throw several punches that Sareena dodged or blocked until he caught her off guard with a knee to the stomach. A vicious backhand knocked her to the floor. She jumped to her feet, striking him with a roundhouse kick to the head. He teleported again, but this time Sareena was ready for his attack. Before his fist could hit her in the back of the head a second time, she twisted around and surprised him with a cartwheel kick. She then thrust forward with her leg extended, kicking him five times before finishing him off with a backflip kick.

Enenra landed on his back with a grunt. Sareena knew he would be up again in a second. As the revenant returned to his feet, she readied herself. It was she who attacked first, aiming a kick for his chest. He caught her leg and tripped her before performing another German Suplex. Yet another cry of pain was evoked from the demoness as her head was slammed into the ground and her opponent's foot struck her ribage. She forced herself to ignore the pain and keep fighting.

"Smoke, please stop," She pleaded, dodging a kick aimed for her head."Quan Chi has turned you into Enenra just like he turned Bi-Han into Noob Saibot. You are better than this. Think of Kuai Liang. I know he is like a brother to you."

"There is no Smoke." The former Lin Kuei snarled, blocking her punches and knocking her across the floor with a kick to the chest."There is only Enenra."

"And what of Tomas Vrbada?" She demanded."Is he also lost?"

He narrowed his eyes."After Smoke died and Enenra took his place, Tomas Vrbada's memories were returned. Tomas was merely a boy when he was abducted by an obscure cult and sacrificed to a demon. He was burned alive and returned as an enenra to avenge his murder, but when he returned to his human form, he remembered nothing of his former life. When Smoke was killed by Sindel and brought back to life by Quan Chi, he regained Tomas Vrbada's memories. Now both of them are dead and Enenra is all that is left." The former Lin Kuei again attempted to bring his foot down on the demoness.

Rolling to the side, she rose and gestured for him to attack. She dodged a punch aimed for her jaw and responded with a kick to the shoulder. The former Lin Kuei's fist connected with her cheek. She knew it would leave a bruise later on. A gasp was drawn from her lips in response to a chop to her neck from Enenra. She thrust forward with extreme speed, smashing him in the head. She then kicked him in the chest, knocking him down.

"You and Bi-Han are more alike than you know, Tomas," She whispered sadly.

Takeda landed on his back at her feet with a groan of pain after being uppercutted by Nightwolf with a tomahawk. The shaman flung a tomahawk at his defeated foe. In desperation, Sareena shielded Takeda from the blow and grunted as the tomahawk impaled her shoulder. Removing the weapon, she ignored the pain in her shoulder and knelt down to make sure Takeda was alright. He was unconscious, but alive. She sighed in relief, though it was short-lived when Nightwolf suddenly grabbed her by the neck and picked her up. A green knife appeared in his hand, which he used to slash the demoness' stomach before knocking her backwards with his shoulder.

As he charged at her with a tomahawk, she drew her own weapon: the Demon Fang. She crossed the blade with his tomahawk grunting as she struggled not to let him throw her off balance. Thinking quickly, she headbutted him, stunning him long enough for her to shoot forward and punch him in the face. Her Demon Fang slashed his stomach to return the wounds he'd given her moments earlier. In the back of her mind, she acknowledged that she was bleeding from both her shoulder and stomach, but knew if she did not continue to fight, she would suffer far worse.

"Nightwolf," She gasped,"Don't you remember sacrificing yourself to stop Sindel from killing anyone else like she did you and your comrades, including her own daughter? You not only defeated Quan Chi **and** Noob Saibot, but also destroyed the Soulnado and did all you could to save Earthrealm's souls. If anyone here should be considered a hero, it is you."

Her words had no effect on the shaman. He continued to fight as if he hadn't heard her, or simply didn't care. Sareena sighed sadly and focused on defending herself from him. She aimed a kick for his knee, but he anticipated the attack and surprised her by driving his knee into her stomach. He punched her in the face, stunning her long enough for him to attack once more.

Nightwolf uppercutted her with a tomahawk, then created a mystical bow which he used to shoot an arrow at her. The arrow zipped past Sareena's face, leaving a small cut on her cheek. She landed with a backflip and ran to retrieve her weapon. Nightwolf slammed his foot on top of the Demon Fang, crushing it. In retaliation, Sareena kicked his tomahawk out of his hand and kicked him in the head. Stunned, he staggered back, allowing her to kick him multiple times in the chest before sending him into the wall with another powerful punch.

Before she could recover from her fight with the shaman, Jacqui was thrown right into her. The two collided and rolled across the floor, groaning. Sindel laughed, whipping her hair out to ensnare Sareena and firing a purple fireball at Jacqui. A yelp was evoked from the girl as the fireball struck her, followed by Sareena being slammed into the ground beside her. Drawing a knife, Sareena flung it at the corrupted queen. Sindel flew up in the air to avoid the knife and screamed at such a high volume that Sareena and Jacqui cried out in pain. She then flew towards them, grabbed them by their hair, and slammed their heads together. Her fist would have connected with Jacqui's face had Sareena not quickly kicked her in the stomach.

Sindel swiftly regained her balance, glaring at Sareena with murderous eyes."You will regret that, demoness," She hissed.

"Queen Sindel, you have suffered more than any of your fellow revenants." Sareena said, backing away while remaining in her fighting stance."Quan Chi resurrected you twice. First to serve Shao Kahn and slaughter several of his foes, your daughter being one of them, and the second to make you into one of **his** slaves alongside those you were brainwashed into murdering."

"I do not need your pity, demoness," She growled."Quan Chi reunited me with my daughter and strengthened our bond through death. You, Kuai Liang, Jackson Briggs, and Hanzo Hasashi betrayed him to serve that pathetic Thunder God and his insignificant excuses for champions. You are nothing more than Kuai Liang's whore in the Lin Kuei and a tool like the blind swordsman is for Jackson Briggs and the Special Forces to use whenever they please. All of you are weaker without Quan Chi's power to protect and strengthen you."

"Quan Chi forced those beliefs into your mind, Sindel!" Sareena yelled."You only need to open your eyes and see the truth for yourself!"

"The only thing I will see is your blood on my hands, traitor."

Sindel's fist connected with Sareena's face, making her gasp. She then grabbed Sareena with her hair and slammed her against the floor several times before tossing her aside. She threw another punch for the demonness's face, but Sareena caught her fist and responded with a punch of her own. Sareena thrust forward with her leg extended, kicking her five times before finishing her off with a backflip kick. Sindel shrieked with anger, determined to destroy the demoness for humiliating her in such a way.

The former queen was from prevented from exacting her revenge when her daughter suddenly landed in front of her and used her fans to make the demoness levitate helplessly in the air. She leapt in the air and kicked Sareena in the chest, knocking her to the ground with a thud. Sareena jumped to her feet, performing a cartwheel kick that made Kitana stagger back. Kitana responded with a punch to the face that stunned Sareena long enough for her to take out a familiar staff and use it to grab her opponent by the chest and slam her into the floor behind her. It took Sareena less than a second to recognize whom the staff belonged to.

"That staff belongs to Jade!" She gasped.

Kitana did not respond. The Edenian princess's eyes widened, however, at the mention of her friend. Clearly, she had not expected to hear that name ever again.

Correction. The staff **once** belonged to Jade, but not anymore. Kitana now wielded it. Perhaps to honor her friend's memory? But what had happened to her? Was Quan Chi responsible? Sareena did not doubt that possibility at all.

Catching the staff with her hands to block another attack, she looked Kitana in the eye and asked,"What happened to her, Kitana?"

Silence was her only answer.

"Did Quan Chi kill her?" She tried.

"Silence!" Kitana threw her off balance and aimed a kick for her head that Sareena dodged.

"Did he banish her to the fifth plane like he did with me?"

"I said silence!"

Kitana then performed another move Sareena recognized: Jade's Shadow Kick.

"Kitana!" Sareena's voice was loud enough to make the Edenian stop in her tracks. Her eyes glinted with annoyance, but she nodded to convey that she was listening.

"What did Quan Chi do to her?" Sareena asked, so quiet that Kitana almost did not hear her.

Kitana closed her eyes and wiped away the single tear that ran down her cheek."He made me watch her die," She whispered.

Sareena stared at her in shock. Quan Chi was not above doing something so cruel, but the mere thought of what kind of agony he must have put Jade through whilst forcing Kitana to watch made a chill run down her spine. She reached out to place her hand on the Edenian princess's shoulder for comfort, but was not expecting Liu Kang to charge at her while her back was turned. By the time she turned around, it was too late to avoid his assault.

She screamed as Liu Kang delivered a jab to the face and punched her in the stomach before giving a palm to her nose. His foot connected with her stomach and she received two more punches to the face. He chopped her neck and kicked her in the face. The three punches she received to the back were enough make her crumble to the ground, gasping for air.

"Kitana, summon Kabal and Stryker back to the Netherrealm," Liu Kang ordered.

Kitana stared at Sareena as if hesitating, but did as he said and opened a portal. Kabal and Stryker stepped out, weapons drawn and ready to join the fight. Sareena's eyes widened as soon as she realized where the portal had taken them from: Earthrealm.

Why the two revenants were there was beyond her. All she cared for was escaping before it closed. Pulling herself up with what remained of her strength, she drew a knife and flung it at Kung Lao, who looked ready to kill his cousin.

"Go!" She yelled to Cassie and her team. The blonde moved to help her. Sareena shook her head, pointing at Jacqui, Takeda, and Jin. They needed Cassie's help more than she did."I will be behind you!" She promised. Cassie nodded and ran to help her friends.

"No," Liu Kang said, cold as ice."You will not."

He beat Sareena mercilessly, uppercutting her into the air and performing his Bicycle Kick. Everything in her body hurt. She'd been stabbed, slashed, slammed against the floor, flung across the room, and drained of nearly all her energy. She fought to remain conscious despite knowing it was not a fight she could possibly win in her beaten and bloody state.

The revenants seemed to have forgotten about the team of younger kombatants at this point, seeing as they were all now using her as a punching bag instead. Well, all of them except for Kitana, who gazed at her with something resembling pity in her eyes. Had she not been busy trying to stifle her cries of pain, Sareena would have noticed this.

Using her last ounce of strength, she kicked Liu Kang away from her and ran to the portal. Jacqui waited for her with her hand extended. She reached out to take it, only for Sindel's hair to ensnare her and slam her into the floor. Sareena cried out, knowing there was no escape for her. Her eyes met Cassie's as she mouthed one word: go.

Takeda grabbed Jacqui, who desperately tried to escape his grip and run to help their ally. He managed to drag her into the portal with him, Jin following closely behind. The last to leave was Cassie. All Sareena could do was wave her hand frantically as a silent way of ordering her to escape before it was too late. Cassie nodded reluctantly, jumping into the portal seconds before it closed, leaving Sareena trapped in the Netherrealm at the mercy of the revenants.

Kabal and Stryker slowly approached her. Beneath Kabal's mask, Sareena recognized his angry expression which matched that of his partner's. The masked man kicked her in the stomach and slashed her across the across the back with one of his hookswords, making her scream. Tears ran down her face as she whimpered from the pain of so many blows and injuries.

Stryker tasered and pistol-whipped her. She did not fight back, wanting nothing more than for someone to end her suffering. Kitana was the one to do so.

Sareena looked up into the Edenian princess's eyes, begging for mercy without actually saying anything. Seemingly reluctant at first, Kitana nodded. She granted the former servant of Quan Chi's wish.

One kick to the back of the head was all it took to knock Sareena out cold and let her slip into the peaceful bliss of unconsciousness.

* * *

 _Okay, so this chapter took a long time to write and I hope I portrayed Sareena alright and wasn't too hard on her since she is one of my favorite characters even if we don't see much of her in a lot_ _of games. I also hope the fights weren't too bad either and that none of characters seemed OOC. If so, please let me know. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 2:Erron Black_


	3. Chapter 2:Erron Black

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Nothing Personal? You've harrassed my mother, stolen my car, and now you're telling people I've gotten you pregnant! In my opinion, getting someone pregnant is pretty fucking personal! Jesus, isn't it enough I'm accused of murder? What are you the bounty hunter from hell?"  
— Janet Evanovich (One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1))

 **Chapter 2:Erron Black**

* * *

 _Loyalty._

It was not a word Erron Black used often, especially when describing himself. The idea of loyalty was a difficult concept for him to grasp. For 150 years, the only thing he felt loyal to was his next paycheck. His former home, Earthrealm, meant nothing to him, and his reasons for remaining in Outworld for all these years before he actually began working for Kotal Kahn were a mystery even to himself. He was described by many as lacking in honor or dignity. The thought of other people's opinions made him scoff.

 _It's just money. Nothing personal._

Erron lost count of how many times he'd said those words to a target or opponent. He still received glares and remarks from his allies regarding his orchestration of Jacqui Briggs and Cassie Cage's kidnapping. The mercenary resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the memory. Did the two girls not recall how he tried to keep them alive, only for the daughter of Jax to sucker punch him while Kano abandoned him to be dealt with by Mavado?

In truth, he wanted them alive mostly because he understood they were worth more alive and intact than dead or mutilated. But another part of him felt a little sorry for them. They had not asked to be kidnapped, and Kano was too thick to see how saving people was better than exploiting them. How the idiot managed to stay alive this long with Sonya Blade constantly on his trail was beyond Erron. His own survival skills were based on logic, money, planning, and bullets. Kano, on the other hand, survived out of pure luck in Erron's opinion. Erron admitted they were alike in their love of money and preferring to stay on the winning side, but unlike Kano, he knew right away which side would win and didn't realize his error in judgement at the last minute. Not that Erron Black made any serious errors in judgement that he would willingly admit to.

Why Kano thought he wished to be a part of the Black Dragon Clan was not something the cowboy wished to waste his time thinking about. They were weaklings compared to the Red Dragon Clan. Then again, with Kano as their leader, Erron supposed it made sense for them to fall short so easily to their superiors. When Kabal was still around as Kano's second-in-command, things looked good for the Black Dragon. As soon as Kabal left, all hope vanished. Erron could not say he blamed the man for choosing to leave. He may have been a mercenary, but there were some crimes committed by the Black Dragon that made his own actions seem justifiable. One of those actions was his decision to kill Kobra, although he'd done so because of a bounty someone had placed on the blonde's head, not due to any personal feelings of justice or revenge.

With a sigh, Erron spun the cylinder of his revolver, muttering not for the first time about he wasn't getting paid enough to deal with this kind of situation. There were few times when he regretted accepting Shang Tsung's offer to slow his aging process in exchange for him killing an Earthrealm warrior and this was one of them. What bothered him most was not a lack of money, but a lack of concern for his paycheck. Kotal Kahn paid him well enough and allowed him to live in his palace. Now, he found himself still wanting his money but not caring about it as much as he used to. Was he becoming loyal to Kotal Kahn? The word "adaptable" always seemed preferable to "loyal" in his opinion. At least it used to be. He wasn't sure anymore, and that vexed him.

A grunt of pain and annoyance escaped Erron's lips as he continued shooting at the target in front of him and ignored the wound in his shoulder which he received stitches for from where Scorpion's kunai pierced it. He also had several cuts and bruises on his back. The doctors told him to rest and recover, but he'd suffered worse than this and swiftly recovered by getting back on his feet as soon as possible and heading into target practice.

Scorpion and Raiden would pay with their lives for what they did to him. Former spectre and Thunder God or not, they were going to regret crossing Erron Black.

"Bang Bang!" It was impossible by now for him not to recognize Ferra's voice. The fact that she was standing at the door, surprisingly without Torr, only made hearing her painfully easier. She was staring at him with a crazy yet concerned look on her childish face. More than once Erron wondered how old she was, but Ferra claimed not to remember her age and if he had to guess, she was probably eleven or twelve.

To say that the girl's sanity was worth questioning would be an understatement. Erron had seen many strange things in his lifetime, but Ferra/Torr outranked all of them. Ferra was the brains while Torr was the brawns. She did all the talking, albeit without proper grammar, whilst he grunted, roared, and smashed. If anyone could be considered a dangerous foe, it was Ferra/Torr without a doubt. Erron found himself feeling grateful they were on the same side.

Glaring down at Ferra with a look of irritation beneath his mask, Erron spun the cylinder of his revolver again and turned back to the target he'd been shooting at for almost an hour. Ferra frowned, grunting as she ran to a nearby bench and sat on it, watching him shoot. Erron raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why was Ferra here? Normally, she was with Torr. Yet the large creature was nowhere to be seen and the unusual expression of worry on her face was a surprise to Erron.

"Bang Bang." He rolled his eyes at her nickname for him, drowning her voice out with more gunshots. Ferra's worried expression became one of irritation, and irritation quickly turned into anger."Bang Bang!" She screamed, her voice echoing through the room.

"What?!" Dropping his gun with an equally loud thud, he gave her a glower and resisted the urge to roll his eyes another time."What the hell do you want, Ferra? Shouldn't you be with Torr or somethin'?!"

At the mention of her companion, Ferra's eyes widened and tears suddenly poured out of them. She let out a sob so loud that Erron was sure his ears were bleeding and put her face in her hands. It was then that he also noticed she was not wearing her clawed gauntlets. Something was wrong with her and Torr. Well, something weirder and more disturbing than usual anyway.

"That child is insane, but today I can at least understand the cause of her distress," Reptile hissed as he entered the room and came to stand beside Erron, who gave him a questioning look and pointed at the sobbing girl."The beast she fights with was more critically wounded than the rest of us." Reptile explained.

Erron gave him a surprised look."What happened to him? He ain't dyin', right?"

Reptile shook his head."We are not sure. He appeared fine at first, but mere hours ago, he collapsed and dropped Ferra from her saddle. The doctors have not allowed her to see him and he roars in agony every few minutes. She has not been herself ever since. The Kahn is greatly concerned for both of them."

Erron sighed irritably."This day just keeps gettin' better and better, doesn't it?"

"Ferra need Torr. Torr need Ferra!" The distraught child choked out as she practically leapt from her sitting position and stamped her foot against the floor petulantly."Spear Man and Lightning Hand hurt Ferra/Torr. Ferra bite ears off for what they do to we!"

"And I shall devour their heads!" Reptile added.

"Not before I **blow** their heads off." Erron muttered.

"I assure you that if we survive this, you will **all** have your chance to avenge our defeat at the hands of the Thunder God and his Shirai Ryu pawn." All heads turned at the sound of Kotal Kahn's voice. The emperor's left leg and stomach were covered in bandages as he limped into the room with one arm wrapped around Ermac's shoulders to support himself while the other clutched his bruised side. Raiden had used his powers to temporarily blot out the sun, which greatly slowed the emperor's recovery.

The being of 10,000 souls had fought harder than the rest of them, and was beaten harder than them as well, yet Ermac showed no sign of caring about his own injuries and focused on making sure his emperor could stay on his feet. Kotal nodded at him in appreciation as he helped the Osh-Tekk warrior get to the same bench Ferra sat on and did not release him until he was completely seated.

"Mac Mac!" Ferra reached out her hands to Ermac, who silently granted her request and picked her up in his arms. She buried her head in his shoulder and half-screamed, half-sobbed louder than she had before his arrival. Ermac gave no hint of being at all affected by her actions and remained silent as Erron and Reptile approached their emperor.

"Big Bossy!" Ferra twisted her body slightly in Ermac's arms and looked at Kotal with wild eyes."Is Torr okay? Ferra no like it when Torr hurt and we apart! We fighters! We no fight alone!"

Kotal sighed and closed his eyes."I am not certain, Ferra. The Shirai Ryu did not do much to harm him, but the devil Raiden's lightning has weakened him a great deal. He has suffered worse, as have you. But I do not know how long it will take him to recover. In truth, I do not how long it will take any of us to recover. We have a week before we must defend Outworld against Raiden's challengers in Mortal Kombat and we are barely able to stand."

"What of the Shokan?" Reptile asked."Will Sheeva not aid us?"

Kotal sighed again."She has agreed to stand and fight beside us, but even years after the death of Kintaro as well as Havik killing her entire battalion before that, her people are still recovering and in an equally difficult situation to us. I will be honest: there is little hope for us, my friend."

"So what?" Erron snapped, bringing everyone's attention to him."We've been through hopeless battles before, haven't we? What's stoppin' us from survivin' this one too?"

"A fascinating choice of words from someone who was imprisoned during one of those hopeless battles for orchestrating the kidnapping of the children of three very important Earthrealm warriors." Kotal commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there nowhere else we can seek aid?" Reptile stepped forward, placing a hand on his emperor's shoulder.

For a moment, Kotal was quiet. Just when it seemed that he lost all hope, however, his eyes widened and he stood up abruptly, though Erron could see that he regretted the action almost immediately due to the grunt of pain he let out as soon as he had gotten up. Erron and his allies knelt beside him to see if he was alright, with Ermac in particular dropping Ferra to the floor. The girl yelped as she hit the floor like a rock and glowered murderously at Ermac but forgot her anger upon seeing Kotal fall to one knee in agony. Erron rolled his eyes at his employer's rare show of clumsiness and helped him up.

"You were sayin' somethin' about us findin' help somewhere?" He drawled.

Kotal nodded."There is someone who will be glad to destroy the devil Raiden." His eyes narrowed worriedly."Though I doubt she will be eager to ally herself with Outworld..."

"Well, who is it?" Erron demanded.

Before Kotal could reply, Ermac and Reptile spoke in unison and answered for him.

"Princess Kitana." They whispered.

"Leena's pretty twin sister?" Ferra asked, recognizing the name.

"Kitana is not Mileena's sister!" Reptile growled."As I have said before, Mieena was a construct and was never Shao Kahn's true heir or daughter. Neither was Kitana, but his love for her and her mother was easy to see, even if he grew furious with her failure to destroy his foes before she turned on him upon discovering the truth about her parentage. Mileena was a clone created by Shang Tsung under the orders of Shao Kahn to replace Kitana if she ever betrayed him. She resembled Kitana in every way except for her mouth. When she wore her veil, she could easily fool anyone into mistaking her for Kitana, but without it..." He trailed off.

"Big teeth!" Ferra exclaimed, sticking her tongue out in disgust."Nasty!"

"Precisely." Ermac nodded in agreement."Quan Chi is dead and Shinnok was defeated. The Netherrealm is now ruled by Kitana and Liu Kang. Their hatred of Raiden for causing their deaths during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm is well-known."

"They're not exactly fond of Outworld either, though." Erron argued.

"And yet they are our only hope for allies." Kotal said grimly."We must go to them and attempt to form an alliance."

"And what if the fallen princess and her champion boyfriend decide to have their fellow undead pals kill us instead?" Erron questioned.

Kotal Kahn lifted his head and looked him straight in the eye."It is preferable to die attempting to save one's realm rather than merely sitting down and waiting for one's foes to destroy them." His eyes scanned all of them as if trying to figure out if any of them would abandon him at this point."You need not stay. I will only order you to fight for me if you **willingly** choose to do so. If any of you wishes to leave, I will not blame nor attempt to stop you."

Reptile once again placed a hand on Kotal's shoulder."I have served you for years and believed in your leadership in a way that I never believed in Shao Kahn or Mileena from the start, Kotal. I will die sooner than abandon you."

A ghost of a smile touched Kotal's lips."Thank you, Syzoth." His eyes flickered to Ermac, whose response was immediate.

The being of 10,000 souls shook his head ever so slowly."Before his defeat and death at the hands of Raiden and the Elder Gods, we served Shao Kahn without question because Shang Tsung created us for that purpose alone. We served Mileena because she was his chosen heir and our "sister", but when we saw how impetuous and unfit she was to rule, we abandoned her to serve you instead. Shao Kahn did not rule; he conquered whatever realm he was able to following victory in Mortal Kombat and allowed his obsession with Earthrealm to cause his demise. Mileena also did not rule; she used the throne for her own selfish purposes as if it were a mere toy and refused to see the error of her ways, resulting in her own demise as well. You **do** rule; we have seen the sacrifices you are willing to make to protect Outworld and regardless of the severity of some of those sacrifices, you are the only true ruler of Outworld that we have ever seen in our lifetime."

It came as a shock to everyone present when Ermac fell to one knee in front of the Osh-Tekk warrior and bowed his head low."We would be honored to fight, and if need be, die for you, Emperor Kotal Kahn."

Getting over his shock, Kotal slowly and carefully stood up. As Ermac looked up to meet his eyes, he knelt down and clasped hands with the construct."And I am honored to have you fight for me, Ermac." He then turned his attention to Ferra.

Rather than respond to him at once, Ferra glanced up at Erron and smiled."Lizard Man and Lady Bug already know our story. It Torr's favorite. Bang Bang and Mac Mac not know it yet so Ferra tell it again now-"

"Ferra-" Kotal's attempt to prevent her from speaking ended in failure as she started talking very loudly and quickly.

"We tell story now!" She screeched and for the second time today Erron was sure his ears were bleeding."Them stabby men-"

"Tarkatans, Ferra." Kotal corrected with a chuckle.

"They take Torr away from me and me away from Torr! Torr no good alone! Ferra no good alone! Ferra/Torr need stay together to fight and crush meany heads, but stabby men-Tarkatans make us be alone!" She exclaimed, hopping like a kangergoo and widening her eyes at the memory."But then Big Bossy come and free Torr and then they free me!"

"Somethin' tells me I don't wanna know what happened to the Tarkatans." Erron said sarcastically.

Kotal smirked, obviously recalling the event for a second time now."Dinner." He replied.

"Yummy Hot Din-Din!" Ferra nodded, rubbing her stomach and licking her lips as she remembered how delicious the dead Tarkatans were. Erron found it both amusing and creepy. Ferra didn't notice his reaction and turned her attention back to Kotal Kahn, now addressing him.

"Ferra no leave you, Big Bossy!" The child cried as she hugged his leg."And if Ferra stay and fight for Kahn, Torr stay too! We make Spear Man **get over here** and squeeze, squish him! We rip head off Lightning Hand too and eat it like we eat Tarkatans, only Lightning Hand and Spear Man be even tastier!"

Chuckling fondly at her disturbing enthusiasm, Kotal patted her on the head and finally made eye contact with the Outworld cowboy."You need not stay and fight if you do not wish to. I am more than willing to renegotiate our agreement-"

"Eh, don't worry about it." If Ermac's declaration of loyalty shocked everyone, then Erron Black's choice of words literally made their jaws drop to the floor. The mercenary waved his hand in a gesture that displayed a lack of concern for getting any more money and spun the cylinder of his revolver with a nod."Pay me what you usually pay me and don't worry about doublin' or triplin' my paycheck. If everyone else is stayin' and fightin' for you, than I guess I am too."

Despite his words, he was quick to add to himself in an inaudible whisper,"Elder Gods know I'm probably gonna regret it, though."

Kotal Kahn stood up straight and nodded his head in approval at all of them."Then I believe it would be wise for us to prepare to leave for the Netherrealm as soon as we are able. With luck, Kitana and Liu Kang may consider an alliance with us rather than order our executions..."

Erron shook his head and sighed."Yep. Definitely gonna regret this." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

 _Ok so no fight scenes in this chapter. Sorry if I disappointed anyone with a lack of action in this chapter, but I promises we'll have plenty of fights in this story soon enough. Once again, I hope no one here seemed OOC and that you all enjoyed it. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 3:Johnny Cage_


	4. Chapter 3:Johnny Cage

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I love my wife. My ex-wife. Nothing will ever change that." "Okay." "I can't love anyone else."  
— C.D. Reiss (Tease (Songs of Submission, #2))

 **Chapter 3:Johnny Cage**

* * *

 _Sometimes I wonder where we went wrong._

 _We were wrong from the start._

The conversation with his ex-wife during the time of their daughter and her best friend's kidnapping was not a moment in his life Johnny Cage remembered with joy. He supposed Sonya didn't enjoy those memories either. Their marriage/divorce was a difficult topic for both of them as well as for their daughter. If anyone suffered the most in the aftermath of Johnny's decision to divorce Sonya, it was Cassie. But what choice did he have? She would've left him anyway, and it was better to get everything over with instead of waiting for her to once again choose her job over her family.

 _Sorry **you** couldn't be the center of attention._

Johnny knew Sonya loved Cassie and would do anything to protect her. The way she reacted to Kano threatening their daughter served as proof of that. But she wasn't ready to raise a kid. Nor was he. Yet why was it that he could make it work for the sake of their child and she couldn't?

Sonya's revelation that she was pregnant had been surprising to say the least, but once he recovered from his shock, the actor promised Sonya he would stand by her the entire time and would never abandon her or their child. They tied the knot, though she refused to become known as "Mrs. Cage". He had no intentions of forcing her to change her surname. Not that anyone **could** force Sonya to do something she didn't want to. Never did he think that marriage and family life would become one of those things. How wrong was he?

 _There was a time when you cared more about your family than your job, **general**._

That time was brief, but pleasant. Sonya would temporarily forget about her job and spend time with her husband and daughter. But in the end, the job came first. If she had to choose between raising a kid and hunting down Kano, Johnny knew she'd pick the latter. The scumbag was in jail, but for how long? He always found a way to escape and wreak havoc. Johnny couldn't blame Sonya for wanting him dead. All too well did he remember how she held him back when Kano said he hoped they found Cassie, remarking on what a shame it would be if she didn't live to legal age. Given how Sonya stopped him from doing something he'd regret that day, Johnny felt obligated to prevent his ex-wife from doing the same years later.

Now, more than a week after Shinnok's invasion, Johnny was in the hospital, recovering from his injuries. Jax agreed to fill in as leader of his team during his recovery. Johnny figured it was because he'd be able to spend time with and protect Jacqui. He also wondered if Jax found out about his daughter's relationship with Takeda yet. He was torn between amusement and sympathy for Takeda at the thought of how Jax would react to the news.

 _Afraid I'd come home with someone like you?_

Shaking his head, Johnny felt grateful he didn't have to worry about Cassie dating anyone yet. She deserved better than someone like him. He acknowledged that his sense of humor and big mouth annoyed both his friends and foes. Cassie inherited that trait from him, to the dismay of many. Yet she also had Sonya's beautiful face and sometimes even her temper. Seeing his little girl wipe the floor with Shinnok the same way he'd kicked the fallen Elder God's bony ass years ago brought a proud smile to his face.

Cassie paid him a visit to let him know how things were going in his absence, mentioning something about a mission with Sareena. She didn't elaborate, claiming neither Sonya nor Jax had given them any details on what they were supposed to do yet. Johnny let it go in favor of asking how she and her mother were doing. A smile spread across his daughter's face in response to his question. Apparently, Sonya was worried sick about her ex-husband's wellbeing and ordered Cassie to let her know if he was alright.

"She called you Johnny, by the way." Cassie added with a wink.

Johnny snickered."That'll be the second time in one week."

"I told her to come see you herself if she was so worried, but she said she was busy. Takeda read her mind and told me she was lying."

"Did he now?"

"Yep." She nodded."So did his dad. They both think she's in denial, and I know you're still carrying a torch for her."

He bit his lip."I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to give 'us' another chance." He admitted.

"So why don't you guys get back together then?" She demanded.

"Cass," Johnny sighed,", I want all three of us to be a family again just as much as you do..." He trailed off.

"But?" She raised an eyebrow.

"But this stuff takes time, and you know how your mom is. We'll start talking to each other when we're ready. Can you respect that for me, pumpkin?"

Cassie groaned, though not for the reason he thought."I told you I was too old for 'pumpkin'!"

Johnny grinned."Does that mean I can't call you 'princess' anymore either?"

"Dad!" She pouted like a little girl, making him laugh until she punched him in the shoulder then started sputtering apologies as he yelped in pain and made sure she hadn't reopened any of his wounds.

"At least you remembered not to mess up the hair." He said jokingly.

"Or damage the face?" Her question was spoken with a smirk that evoked a sigh from him.

"Too bad D'Vorah's baby insects already took care of that for me."

"Don't worry, Dad." She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and stood up to leave."Your face and the rest of you will be up and kicking ass and maybe even making another horrible movie in no time!"

"Oh come on!" He whined." _Time Smashers_ and _Every Dog Has Its Day_ weren't **that** bad!"

She snorted."You're right; _Ninja Mime_ was worse than both of them combined. Takeda is still complaining about how insulting it is to ninjas and mines everywhere. It's also why his dad is grateful he's blind."

A few days passed after her visit, and he hadn't heard from her or Jax since. To say he was worried would be an understatement, but he assured himself that if Cassie could beat up an Elder God, then she could handle whatever mission her team received. It was not until Sonya came to see him that he knew something was not right.

"Is Cass okay?!" Were the first words out of his mouth when his ex-wife walked through the door.

"How are you?" She answered his question with another question. He stared at her in perplexity. Those were not the words he was expecting to hear.

"Sonya." Johnny murmured as she sat next to his bed."What happened?"

The woman who sat beside him was not the same one he'd married. The Sonya Blade he knew never looked this exhausted and...vulnerable. There were bags under her eyes indicating that she hadn't slept in days. It didn't look like she'd eaten anything either. Seeing her like this scared him. His concern only increased when he gently took her hand and she made no attempt to free it form his grasp. Nor did she show any sign of noticing his fingers squeezing hers.

"Cassie and the team are alright." Her words allowed him to sigh in relief, but something was still wrong.

Sonya was biting her lip and her hand was shaking as she fought to avoid making eye contact with him. When she spoke, her voice was so quiet that he could barely hear her."They've got a few cuts and bruises, but they'll live." Her eyes narrowed."Sareena, however, was wounded and captured. The revenants used her as a punching bag while she distracted them to let Cassie and her team escape. Jax, Kenshi, and Sub-Zero are worried sick and don't know what to do." She sighed deeply."And neither do I."

"So let me get this straight." Johnny seethed."You sent them to the **Netherrealm**? What the **hell** is wrong with you, Sonya? You know how-"

"Their orders were to observe the revenants' activities only!" She shouted."They were caught and Sareena managed to convince Nightwolf and Enenra that they just wanted to talk to their rulers, but Sindel mentioned something about Raiden threatening them and the other revenants accused your team of being sent by Raiden to make sure they didn't ignore his warnings. It's a miracle they were able to get out of there alive."

"Why did you send them there? Is that why Cass lied to me about not having any details for the mission when she came here a couple of days ago?"

"I asked her not to tell you because I knew you'd try to talk me out of it. I also knew the revenants would be suspicious, but I needed to...I wanted to..." She trailed off.

Johnny's expression softened with understanding."You wanted to see if, with Quan Chi gone, we could find a way to bring them back like we did with Jax and Sub-Zero?"

Sonya nodded."Raiden said that without Quan Chi around, their souls are lost forever, but Sareena and Kung Jin didn't believe him."

"And neither did you." He added in a whisper.

She nodded a second time."So we decided to take matters into our own hands. It was dangerous and now Sareena is a prisoner of the Netherrealm again, but damn it Johnny, those murderous zombies used to be our **friends**. I may not have trusted Kabal or Stryker very much and God knows I had my conflicts with Kitana and Sub-Zero, but we **fought** with those people. You and I were lucky to survive Sindel's ambush, but the rest of them weren't. We freed Jax and Sub-Zero, but that hasn't done much good. Jax's nightmares won't stop and Sub-Zero keeps everything bottled up. **They** were Quan Chi's slaves for a few years. Liu Kang and the others have been trapped there for over twenty years. No one deserves to go through that, especially after all they've been through and sacrificed. God, we don't know even know what happened to Jade..."

Her voice was shaky as she spoke, holding her head in her free hand that Johnny wasn't squeezing within his own. Ignoring the discomfort it brought him, Johnny sat up in bed to place his hands on her shoulders and wiped away the single tear that ran down her cheek. His fingers tilted her chin up to make her look at him.

"There's more, isn't there?" She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, nodding.

"Kano." She choked out."I was...so exhausted...fell asleep...had this dream...and **he** was in it. That bastard was holding Jax and Cassie hostage and telling me to choose who I wanted to save." Tears poured down her face as she shook with sorrow."I...chose Cassie, and he **murdered** Jax right in front of me. I woke up screaming. God, it...it felt so real, Johnny. I know it was a dream, but it felt like my best friend was was really dead again. I couldn't believe he was alive until I saw him with my own eyes. That's when I got the news that Kano escaped. I already lost one partner to that monster. I can't lose another. Or my daughter. I'll die before I let that happen!"

Johnny shushed her. Sonya didn't try to fight him when he pulled her closer to him, instead burying her head in his shoulder and letting the tears fall. He couldn't care less for his injuries. The physical wounds he suffered would heal quickly, but what about Sonya's emotional wounds? All the grief, anger, stress, fear, and bitterness the last several years had brought her were slowly tearing her apart.

If she were fine, she would have pushed him away and given him a black eye for holding her in such an intimate embrace without her permission. But Sonya Blade was not fine. Not at all. She was furious, scared, and exhausted. She needed to cry, to let it all out now or risk losing control at the worst time and in the worst place. Whether or not either of them wanted to admit it, they found strength in each other. Without realizing it, they leaned against one another for comfort, support, and courage. They had done so during their daughter's kidnapping and now here they were, years later, doing the same thing.

"Johnny..." Her voice was muffled by his shoulder, but he heard her.

"I'm here, baby. It's alright." He murmured.

"W-What did I say about calling me 'baby'?" She growled half-heartedly. The blonde, perhaps unconsciously, snuggled against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his embrace.

"You know you love it." He said with a grin.

A sarcastic laugh escaped her lips."You're such an ass!"

It did not escape his notice that despite her annoyance, she kept her head buried in his shoulder. Not that he minded of course."And you love it!" He teased, hissing when she pinched the skin of his neck in response. Unbeknownst to him, she was smiling as she responded.

"Maybe I do."

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 _And another chapter is done! I hope I didn't make Johnny and Sonya seem OOC at all. I don't know why, but for some reason I've always found them the most difficult to properly portray. Anyway, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 4:Stryker_


	5. Chapter 4:Stryker

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Cops aren't heroes, Peabody. We just do the job."  
— J.D. Robb (Three in Death (In Death, #7.5, 12.5, 22.5))

 **Chapter 4:Stryker**

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Confusion.

Of all emotions, this was the one Kurtis Stryker experienced the most of the day Raiden recruited him. From the confusion of the monsters invading his home, the strange man shooting lightning out of his hands, Johnny Cage fighting a giant monster, Nightwolf telling him he was one of Earthrealm's chosen defenders, to his partner's disappearance and subsequent return after being burned by a four-armed tiger and turned into a Darth Vader wannabe by Kano.

Even as he accepted his role as "Earthrealm Defender" (which he still considered ten steps above his pay grade), Stryker did not understand why **he** had been chosen. He also did not understand how a guy wearing a cow skull could possibly be emperor of anything, let alone an entire realm, or why that guy would want to invade Earthrealm so badly.

 _So much for standing around._

If he could go back in time and stop himself from saying those words, he would. Why did he say that? He might as well have invited the Lin Kuei to attack them. The cyborgs were easy to deal with. It was who came after them that destroyed their lives forever. Sindel tore them apart in seconds. Stryker remembered watching her murder Kabal right in front of him, followed by the blind rage he felt as he charged at her to avenge his fallen partner, only to join him in death as she took him out with a single punch to the skull.

Waking up was the worst part. Quan Chi stood over him and Kabal, laughing evilly as he informed them of their new 'profession'. Resisting was pointless. No matter how hard they fought, the necromancer was quick to put them back in their place. It wasn't long before they gave up hope of ever escaping. The only one of them who continued to fight was Jade, and Quan Chi made sure to...

No. He wouldn't think about that. There was no point in remembering those days. All it would do was bring him more pain. When he still alive, Stryker believed no sacrifice was in vain. Too bad his death wasn't a sacrifice. The former cop spent his last moments fighting a war they had no chance of winning and following the orders of a guy having strange visions of the supposed future with no idea what to do. And look where that got him. Look where it got **all** of them.

Damn Raiden. Damn the Elder Gods. Damn Shao Kahn. Damn Quan Chi. Damn everyone and everything responsible for the chaos that occurred during that fateful day in New York City. Never could Stryker forget the anger he felt when he heard Raiden offering his own soul, as well as those of Stryker and his comrades, in exchange for Quan Chi's aid against Shao Kahn. Who the hell did he think he was? Thunder God or not, **he** had no right to offer **their** souls as a bargaining chip. How did **he** know what **they** wanted? It was a mistake to trust the bastard. A mistake none of them would make again.

Stryker shook his head to rid himself of the memories. Over two decades had passed since he died defending Earthrealm and became Quan Chi's slave, yet it felt as if it all happened yesterday...

A hand on his shoulder snapped him back into reality. Turning his head, he met the eyes of his best friend and partner, Kabal, whose mask concealed his concerned expression. The former Black Dragon member had no need to continue wearing his mask since he was already dead thanks to Sindel's heel connecting with his respirator. He chose to keep it on, however, so no one would have to see his horrific injuries. Stryker couldn't blame him. Quan Chi could have and should have, but didn't, heal Kabal's wounds. Unlike the case of Sub-Zero's cyber transformation, Kabal's transformation happened via both technology and magic, particularly Shang Tsung's magic, making him as fast as the Flash and increasing his strength. These were abilities that the sorcerer found useful, so he decided to let Kabal suffer by leaving him in his current state.

Rather than say anything, Stryker nodded. Kabal returned the gesture and the two continued their task of escorting an unconscious Sareena to the dungeon. They were on a mission in Earthrealm, monitoring the Black Dragon's activities since Kano escaped from jail when Kitana summoned them back to the Netherrealm to aid in dealing with the intruders. Sareena distracted them long enough for Raiden's new champions to escape, but was captured in the process. The demoness was lucky Kitana decided to take pity on her and knock her out. Otherwise, she would have gone through far worse than the cuts, bruises, and stabs wounds she already received before his arrival.

As soon as they reached the dungeon, the demons Liu Kang had beaten into submission in order to claim Shinnok's throne began screaming and running around in their cells, desperately begging to be released. They were ignored. All of the cells were full, except for one which contained another demoness with a similar history of betrayal to Sareena.

Her name was Ashrah. Like Sareena, she was a demoness who served Quan Chi until she refused to follow one of his orders and was punished by having her own sister sent to kill her. She had no choice but to kill her would-be assassin to survive. She escaped, but was caught and arrested following the death of Quan Chi and Shinnok's defeat. Liu Kang figured she might be of some use, but ordered her to be imprisoned for now.

It was hard not to recognize the demoness. She was dressed completely in white, including a hat similair to Raiden's and Kung Lao's with a veil hanging off it. If not for her dark hair, one would think she was a big spot of white from a distance. In her hands, she clutched a dagger called the Kriss which she believed helped her become more humane by killing demons or other evil creatures. Stryker wanted to laugh at her stupidity.

"Good news, Ashrah." He said coldly."You've got a cellmate."

Ashrah's eyes widened in recognition as Sareena was tossed into the cell. Shouting the other demonness's name, she knelt beside her and lifted her into sitting position, shaking her shoulders in an attempt to rouse her. For once, Stryker noticed that Ashrah forgot about her beloved weapon, albeit temporarily.

"I'm sure our demon ladies have plenty to catch up on, Stryker." Kabal said."Let's leave them to it."

The two revenants returned to their posts as guards near the gates outside of the palace. If Raiden sent his new champions to spy on them once, who's to say he wouldn't do it a second time? Someone did come, but it was not the Thunder God or any of his lapdogs. Rather, it was another so-called god and his loyal servants.

"Great." Stryker groaned."More uninvited guests."

"I must speak with your rulers at once." Kotal Kahn said urgently. Stryker had heard stories of what a legendary warrior the current emperor of Outworld was. Clearly, those stories were false. The man who stood before him was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns he no doubt received during Raiden's invasion of Outworld. His warriors didn't look so good either.

Reptile and Ermac were the first ones Stryker recognized. It was to forget the freakshow who literally ate his pistol as well as the being that had thrown him into the subway and said that Shao Kahn would have his soul. Even in his confusion, Stryker knew there was no way in hell (no pun intended given his current location) he was letting anyone take his soul, especially after he managed to beat up a crazy lady with bad teeth and a four-armed tiger who served as the reason his best friend spent the rest of his short life with a mask and respirator on for survival.

"Not gonna happen." Stryker growled."You've got one chance and one chance only to turn around and get out of here before we make you regret coming."

"Look, pal." The gunslinger snapped with a look of irritation beneath his mask."We've been through enough shit these past two days, so maybe you oughta let us talk to your new boss or else."

Kabal snorted."Or else what?"

"Or else Kobra won't be the first Black Dragon whose head I put a bullet in."

Kabal laughed at him."You don't really think I give a damn about that dumbass recruit of mine, do you? Kobra would've gotten himself killed without that bounty on his head anyway, and in case you haven't noticed," He took a step forward with his hookswords pointed at the cowboy's throat,", we're already dead."

"I do not care what you say or do." Kotal said."I **will** speak with Kitana. You cannot stop me."

"Says the man who got his ass kicked by Kung Lao's little cousin." Stryker sneered."One hit from my taser will be enough to knock you out. You and your bodyguards can barely stand, let alone pose a threat to us."

"I would not be so sure-" The emperor's words were interrupted when Sindel's hair ensnared him and tossed him aside like a rag doll. Reptile had no time to react as Kabal knocked him back with a kick to the face while Ermac rushed to his emperor's aid. That left Erron Black alone for Stryker to deal with.

The mercenary pulled out both of his revolvers and aimed at Kabal. Before he could fire, Stryker struck him in the head with a baton and took out a flashlight while his opponent recovered from the blow. Black grunted at the bright light that blinded him hard enough to bring him to his knees. He looked up just in time for Stryker to slam the flashlight against his skull. A yelp escaped his lips as he was struck once more in the head with a baton and tasered. He was then sent rolling across the ground with a kick to the chest.

"What's the matter, cowboy?" Stryker taunted."Too tired from getting your ass kicked by Kung Lao's cousin, Kenshi's kid, and Scorpion to put up a fight?"

Rubbing his jaw, Black narrowed his eyes and got to his feet. He spun the cylinder of his revolver, pointing it at Stryker."Bad idea to insult me."

"You're not the only one good with guns, you know."

"My bullets are better than yours."

"You wanna test that theory?" Stryker asked, drawing his pistol.

"If you're that eager to die again."

"Making threats isn't gonna keep you alive."

"It's only a threat if I lose."

"I'll rectify that in a minute."

Black fired first. Stryker admitted the cowboy was a good shot, but not good enough. He was too weak and exhausted from his previous fights to win this one. It was not hard for Stryker to take advantage of his opponent's weakened state.

Stryker waited for Black to pause to reload his guns. When he did, the former cop charged and used his baton to trip him. Black's foot struck him in shoulder, making him stagger back. He regained his balance and responded by smashing his foe over the head with his baton. Black uppercut him, retrieving his revolvers and walking backwards as he fired several shots. A cry of pain escaped Stryker's lips as one bullet went through his shoulder while the other two zipped past his face and left cuts on his cheeks. This only proved the obvious. Black's injuries were making his aim sloppy. If he were fine, all three of those bullets would have been in between Stryker's eyes.

Landing on his feet, Stryker threw his baton at Black. The mercenary yelled as it hit his wrist and made him drop one of his guns. Stryker pulled out his pistol and shot Black in the shoulder to repay him for his own injury. Black cried out, clutching his shoulder in agony. He reached for the Tarkatan arm blade he used only in desperation and charged at Stryker, slashing at his eyes. Stryker easily dodged his attacks and tasered him.

"Guess your bullets aren't better, after all." Stryker said dryly.

With a groan of pain, Black fell to his knees, panting heavily. His hateful eyes glared at Stryker."As soon as my wounds heal, you're gonna be my next target."

Rolling his eyes at the empty threat, Stryker smashed his baton against the back of Black's head, knocking him out cold.

There was a harsh cry of pain as Reptile landed at the feet of Stryker with Kabal approaching the defeated Zaterran. The masked man pinned Reptile down with his foot and raised his hookswords above his head as he prepared to finish him off. That was when Ermac suddenly flew into him with a headbutt, evoking a shout from Kabal as his mask was knocked off in the process and he was sent rolling across the ground with a kick to the neck.

Stryker tasered Ermac and kicked him to the ground. Kabal slowly stood up, searching for his mask. Kotal Kahn took advantage of this, but before his macuahuitl could touch the disfigured man, Kabal raised his head and gave Kotal a good look at his face. Even now Stryker felt pity and horror when he looked at his partner's burned face. Those emotions were shared by Kotal, who dropped his weapon and backed away. Kabal let out a bloodcurdling scream that caused even Sindel to flinch.

Kotal recovered from his shock, hurrying to retrieve his weapon. Kabal planted his foot on the macuahuitl to prevent the emperor from grabbing it. Sindel exchanged nods with Stryker and flew straight toward Kotal with a fireball forming in her hands. Ermac tackled her. As the two struggled to overpower one another, Stryker shot Kotal in the arm while Kabal slashed him across the chest with his hooksword. The emperor staggered back, falling to his knees as he clutched his wounded arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Meanwhile, Sindel and Ermac were engaged in their own battle. Ermac flew straight at Sindel to hit her with his fists. Sindel landed on her feet and flew back to throw a fireball at Ermac just as he launched a sphere of soul energy at her. The force of their attacks making impact knocked both of them back. They landed on their feet. Sindel used her hair to grab an unconscious Erron Black, then flung him at Ermac.

The former queen of Edenia laughed as she flew back to her allies. Her fingers tilted Kotal's chin up, studying his face as if she were sizing up a cow for a slaughter. In this case, Stryker supposed that was exactly what Kotal Kahn was. He and Kabal dragged Reptile, Ermac, and Erron Black to where their fallen leader was, for the second time in two days, brought to his knees. They were forced to kneel beside him.

"You were a fool to come here, Kotal Kahn." Sindel said."My daughter will be pleased when we bring her your head. It will decorate the halls of the palace just as Quan Chi and Shinnok's heads do." She snapped her fingers at Stryker."Kill him. His servants can watch him die before they too suffer the same fate."

"I beg of you to reconsider." Kotal pleaded."We have a common enemy. I know you hold Raiden responsible for your deaths during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm. If we unite against him, we will be able to find victory."

Scoffing, Stryker rolled his eyes."What makes you think we'll work with Outworld? Last I checked, Outworld is just as much to blame for what happended to us as Raiden is."

"Save your breath, pal." Kabal added."We'd rather die again than work with you."

"As I said before, kill him." Sindel hissed, flying up into the air."Do what you wish with his lapdogs. I will inform Kitana and Liu Kang of what has occurred here."

Just as she turned to leave, one of Kotal Kahn's warriors cried out to her in a voice that was not his own.

"Sindel!"

The sound of her name being called caused the former queen to stop in her tracks. She flew back to the ground, approaching the being of 10,000 souls with slow, heavy steps and wide eyes. Kneeling down in front of him, she stuttered out the name of a man she claimed was long dead.

"Jerrod?"

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 _Wow! I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story! I never thought I'd have good feedback like this as well as favorites and follows. Thanks so much for your support everyone! Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 5:Rain_


	6. Chapter 5:Rain

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Life isn't finding shelter in the storm. It's about learning to dance in the rain."  
— Sherrilyn Kenyon (Acheron (Dark-Hunter, #14))

 **Chapter 5:Rain**

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 _I am a son of Argus! I was not merely declared a god by befuddled commoners, Buluc!_

A demigod, but a god nevertheless. That was who he was. There was nothing 'supposed' about it. His mother died when he was too young to remember her and his adoptive father, whom he believed to be his biological father for many years, was a general for the Edenian Resistance. It was not until after he betrayed his brethren that Rain discovered the truth about his heritage. His father was Argus, and his half-brothers were Taven and Daegon. He was the rejected son whose mother was exiled by his father out of shame for his infidelity.

Rain remembered the outrage he felt when Raiden told him who he really was. Not only had his father betrayed him, but so did Shao Kahn. The bastard lied to him, his promises of giving Rain leadership of his own army mere fiction. Mileena, however, was easy to fool. He could have taken over Outworld while giving Tanya her precious version of a free Edenia, but that ended in failure. The Edenian Resistance's trust in him and Tanya was shaky at best. They had both betrayed their people in the past, so they were lucky to gain Mileena's trust. Yet even then they had to earn it through more betrayal, and Mileena's execution nearly cost them the loyalty of the Tarkatans.

"Kotal Kahn's armies are too weak to fight back." Tanya snapped him from his thoughts with another one of her complaints."We must take advantage of this and attack."

Sighing, Rain pinched the bridge of his nose. Why, of all people, did Tanya have to be his closest remaining ally? If anything, he was the one with the most power and expertise in military matters. A pity Kitana and Jade were not here. For all his treachery, Rain held a deep respect for the Edenian princess and her bodyguard. He recalled how Shao Kahn offered him Kitana's hand in marriage along with his own army in exchange for his aid. Another lie, of course, but a temping lie.

Such a pity Kitana fell in love with the champion of Mortal Kombat and died alongside Jade at Sindel's hands. As much as Rain despised Liu Kang, he could understand the other man's feelings for Kitana. Beautiful, fierce, and wise were the words all men used to describe her. She did not know of his feelings for her, but that didn't matter. Her heart belonged to Liu Kang. They now ruled the Netherrealm together, Edenia, Earthrealm, and Outworld no longer holding any meaning in their hearts.

He dreamed more than once of what it would be like to finally achieve his goal of becoming ruler of Outworld and taking Kitana as his empress. When he looked at Mileena with her veil on, he pictured her as Kitana to ease the disgust of being near the insane clone. She taunted him about his love for her 'sister', removing her mask sometimes to make him uncomfortable. Personally, her death brought him satisfaction, but professionally, it weakened the morale of half their army.

Knowing every Tarkatan and Edenian's eyes were on him, Rain felt grateful for the mask that concealed his face so no one could see his irritated expression. The demigod's eyes narrowed as he glared at Tanya."It is true that Raiden's invasion has weakened the emperor's forces," He said slowly,", but Sheeva is a strong ally of Kotal Kahn and has already arrived with her army to provide them aid. Even if we do outnumber them, we cannot attack without a proper strategy. And Sheeva is no fool. She knows us well enough to expect our attack, no matter what decision we make."

"We cannot simply sit here and do nothing!" Tanya hissed, slamming her hand against the table. Some of the soldiers gathered around her, particularly the Tarkatans, jumped in surprise at her outburst. The Edenians mostly rolled or narrowed their eyes.

"The rain falls when it may." He stated coldly."And you will remember who is in command here."

"I do not recall Mileena putting you in charge of this army."

"I do not recall her declaring you to be our leader either."

"I did not betray the previous resistance to Shao Kahn!"

Her words drew the attention of the Edenians in the tent. They glowered suspiciously at Rain, obviously contemplating Tanya's statement. He confessed she had a point; he was a traitor, yet who was she to talk? Her history of betrayal was no less contemptible than his.

Raising an eyebrow, Rain took a step closer to Tanya and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine."How odd to hear that from you, Tanya. You and Reiko are quite similar in your means of gaining Mileena's trust."

"How dare you-"

"My apologies. Did you not seduce her into accepting you as an ally and begin your service here as her concubine?" He chuckled."Of course, Reiko became her closest advisor while you remained as her, what is it Earthrealmers call? Ah yes, whore."

Snickers were evoked from the Tarkatans. The Edenians seemed torn between which of of the two traitors deserved more contempt. The man who betrayed them to Shao Kahn? Or the woman who was no better than Reiko? They eventually settled for remaining neutral, which was good enough for Rain. Tanya, on the other hand, was shaking with fury.

"You...you..." She spoke through gritted teeth, fists clenched so tightly her nails drew blood from her palms. A scream escaped her lips as she lunged at him with her Kobu Jutsu drawn.

Rain dodged the attack by stepping to the side and kicked her in the back, knocking her to the floor. His soldiers moved to intervene, but he gestured for them to remain where they were. He could deal with Tanya alone.

Tanya tackled him. He caught her wrists to stop her Kobu Jutsu inches from his face. She yelped in surprise when he teleported, reappearing behind her to slam his elbow into her back. Her foot struck him in the stomach, winding him. She slashed at him with her weapons. He barely managed to spin out of the way in time as she got to her feet and forced him to focus on defending himself instead of striking her.

Eventually, the demigod was able to deliver a roundhouse kick to the face and uppercut her into the air. Getting into a handstand position, Rain propelled himself into the air using a geyser he summoned and kicked Tanya in the chest. She landed with a backflip and somersaulted forward with a kick, then performed another somersault leap to stomp on his abdomen. Rain knocked her off with a blast of water. She landed on her back with a grunt.

Both of them rose, Rain throwing a blast of water whilst Tanya launched a ball of fire at him. The force of their attacks making impact knocked them back. Tanya landed with another backflip. Rain teleported and reappeared in midair, throwing himself toward her. She could not react fast enough to avoid his attack, grunting as his foot connected with her face and he delivered a second roundhouse kick that sent her crashing into the table.

She looked up right before his fist met her nose, breaking it with a satisfying crack and evoking a scream from her lips. She shook off the pain, ignoring the blood running down her face. Dodging a chop aimed for her neck, she knocked him back with an axe kick. Sliding on his feet across the floor, Rain raised his arm and summoned lightning to electrocute Tanya.

One gesture was enough to spur the soldiers into action. A Tarkatan arm blade slashed Tanya's arm, making her yelp. She punched the Tarkatan in the stomach and kicked him toward Rain, who teleported to avoid the body. Her attempt to lunge at him was prevented by an Edenian catching her in a headlock. Rain slowly approached her, smirking beneath his mask as he watched her struggle against the soldiers restraining her. A kick to the kneecap from the same Tarkatan she had kicked toward Rain brought the Edenian woman to her knees in front of him.

Forced to remain on her knees with a foot planted on her back and a Tarkatan arm blade at her throat, her eyes glared balefully at Rain. He stood over her, clasping his hands behind his back and giving a nod to one of his men. The gesture was returned, followed by Tanya being struck in the back of the head, knocking her out cold.

"Get her out of my sight." Rain ordered."I will deal with her later."

As Tanya was dragged out of the tent, Rain let out a sigh. Tanya was not his friend, but she had been a decent ally until now. He would need to look for aid elsewhere. Having had his fill of annoyance for the night, he ended the meeting and allowed his troops to leave so he could ponder his next move alone.

Morale was down thanks to the execution of Mileena as well as Tanya's attempt on his life. He barely had any trust from his troops while the clone was alive given the mockery she made of their beloved princess. Now that she was dead, he wondered if they would merely abandon him to Kotal Kahn the first chance they got just like he had done to their predecessors so many years ago with Shao Kahn. Son of Argus or not, Rain was not so foolish or arrogant that he did not know when to be worried. There was no way out for him this time. No escape. He had to make use of what resources and allies he had left, or die.

But who could possibly be willing to help him? Earthrealm was out of the question. Going to them for aid would be equally as bad as surrendering to Kotal Kahn. His army may outnumber those of his enemies, but without a good strategy, they might as well kill themselves rather than die in battle.

The Black Dragon would rejoin them for the right price. Unfortunately, the resistance lost nearly all of their money when Mileena paid Kano to assassinate Kotal, a task he failed to complete. Promises might lure Kano in, but victory was necessary in order to keep those promises. It was a large risk, one Rain reluctantly decided to take. He sent a messenger to the Black Dragon Clan's hideout in Earthrealm, hoping to receive success.

Yet even with the Black Dragon rejoining them (which was still a small chance), it was not sufficient. Rain needed more than a few criminals, wild Tarkatans, and hesitant Edenians to achieve his goal. He required someone with experience in these matters. Someone who could inspire loyalty in his troops while also providing political and physical power.

A single name crossed his mind. Rain exited his tent, ordering one of his men to watch over the camp in his absence and that a group of soldiers prepare for their next mission alongside him. He also ordered that Tanya be restrained and taken with them.

"Where do you plan to go, sir?" A Tarkatan asked.

Stopping in his tracks, Rain glanced over his shoulder at the confused Tarkatan and gave him a shocking answer.

"The Netherrealm."

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 _Everyone just a keeps going to the Netherrealm. Gosh, if I was Kitana, I'd probably put up a sign at this point saying 'Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone from the land of the living'. ;) I also really hope Rain and Tanya weren't OOC and that this chapter wasn't too brief or boring. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 6:Cassie Cage_


	7. Chapter 6:Cassie Cage

**I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Fly free, my daughter. Be what I could never be and leave the cage forever."  
― Nalini Singh, Archangel's Enigma

 **Chapter 6:Cassie Cage**

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Self-doubt.

It was an emotion Cassie Cage endured for years. She hid it well behind her father's sense of humor and her mother's temper, but couldn't get rid of it. Even now, with all of her accomplishments (particularly kicking Shinnok's ass), Cassie felt unsure of herself. The mission to spy on the revenants went worse than the training exercise against the Lin Kuei. Sareena had saved their lives, and was captured in the process. Cassie could never forget the look on Sareena's face as she ordered them to flee. In that moment, Cassie wanted to run to the demonness's aid instead of leaving her behind. She deserved better than than to be trapped within the same place she spent years trying to escape.

Yet Cassie knew there was no way to help their ally. And if not for Takeda restraining Jacqui, Cassie's best friend would have been captured as well. The last thing Cassie saw before jumping through the portal was the terrified expression on Sareena's face as she was surrounded by revenants. No matter how many times Cassie told herself that she had no choice, a shudder ran down her spine at the thought of what the revenants would do to Sareena. She knew that her friends and mother were just as worried as she was. The same could be said for Sub-Zero, Jax, and Kenshi.

With a sigh, the blonde leaned back in her bed and put her headphones on, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the music. She needed something to take her mind off the failed mission. Or more specifically, something to block out what she figured would be her father's reaction when he found out what happened.

 _The mission didn't go **that** bad! _

_I may vomit with pride._

Knowing him, he probably would. Either that or he'd try to cheer them up like he did after Sub-Zero kicked their butts during a secret training exercise. The possibilities were endless. All Cassie knew for sure was how ashamed she felt for not being able to defend herself against a revenant whose friends had lost to her no more than a week ago. If she'd been stronger, Sareena wouldn't needed to run to her aid. Her teammates shared this opinion. The demoness saved their lives, yet they could nothing to return the favor...

"Greeting, Cassandra Cage."

She must have fallen asleep, because her closed eyes fluttered open and she yawned at the sound of a familiar voice. Raising her head, she widened her eyes when she saw who her guest was.

"Raiden." His name escaping her lips brought Kitana's words from the Netherrealm back into her mind.

 _The Thunder God arrived here but a few days earlier. From the way he spoke, it was clear he was not himself. When he allowed us to look into his eyes, our suspicions were confirmed. His eyes...they are red whereas in the past, they were blue. His attire is also different, consisting of dark colors and his very presence is that of danger and corruption._

Looking at Raiden now, Cassie realized how accurate Kitana's description of him was. The smirk which formed on his face in response to her shocked expression only increased her concerns. This was not the Raiden who her parents fought beside and trusted for years before she was born. His mere appearance was enough to creep her out more than the kiss D'Vorah planted on Mileena to kill her. She still hesitated to eat whenever thinking about that memory.

Raiden pushed off the wall he was leaning against and approached her. Cassie forced herself to make eye contact with him and conceal her discomfort. Showing him fear was the last thing she wanted to do, although it was obvious the deity already knew how uncomfortable he was making her. And he enjoyed it.

"Your team has been in the Netherrealm recently." His red eyes narrowed as he spoke, glinting with a hint of anger."The..demoness accompanied you, did she not?"

Shit. He knew. Of course he knew. No wonder the revenants suspected her team of being sent to spy on them. Well, they **had** been sent to spy on them, just not by Raiden and not for the reasons they thought. Her mother sent them to, officially, see what the revenants were up to and, personally, see if there was a way to help them regain their humanity now that Quan Chi was gone (even though his magic would have made that easier) and Shinnok was defeated.

"She was captured." It was not a question, but she nodded anyway. Raiden's smirk widened."Does my new appearance frighten you, Cassandra Cage?"

"Kitana was right." She blurted out."You were corrupted while purifying the Jinsei, weren't you?" And **she** had been the one to put him there. Even if she did so at his own request, the guilt tore at her conscience.

Raiden frowned."I was not corrupted. Rather, my experience in the Jinsei cleared my mind. I see now what a fool I was to show mercy to those unworthy of such a gift."

"You went to the Netherrealm. You threatened the revenants. That's why they went crazy and attacked us. It was because of you."

Anger mixed with terror over what she'd just said to someone as deadly and powerful as him. His irritation was undeniable. She resisted the urge to yelp when he roughly grabbed her chin and used his finger to force her to look at him. He leaned in, face inches away from hers as he scowled.

"You are as arrogant and foolish as Kotal Kahn. But you are correct to say that I paid a visit to the Netherrealm and warned Quan Chi's former slaves of the consequences they would face if they threatened Earthrealm. I believe Shinnok's head will make an excellent decoration for the palace."

Cassie paled."You killed him?!"

Raiden laughed, the sound a mixture of sadistic and unimpressed."One cannot kill an Elder God, Cassandra Cage. Not even if he is a fallen one. There are fates worse than death."

He was a freaking monster. That was the only way she could describe him. The Raiden she knew died after saving Earthrealm from Shinnok's invasion. In his place was an insane murderer.

"You're insane!" She hissed.

Raiden smiled."No, young one. I am merely... **different**."

" **Different** as in you've gone batshit crazy!"

She knew she was going to regret saying that, but couldn't stop the words from escaping her lips. Yet Raiden was not the one to punish her. A familiar voice laughed behind her, followed by someone grabbing her hair from behind to force her head back and a butterfly knife being held against her throat.

"Hey there, baby." Kano chuckled."Or should I say, 'baby girl'?"

"Mom's told me all about you." Cassie growled, the blade at her throat serving as the only thing preventing her from attacking the scumbag. Well, that and Raiden's fingers still squeezing her chin painfully.

"Good for you then." He spat on the ground, smiling."You look like your mother alright. I'd wager you scream like her too."

"Screw you, creep." She sneered.

He pressed his knife hard enough to make a small cut as a warning for her to watch her mouth. Looking up at the Thunder God, he raised an eyebrow and nodded his head at the blonde in his grip."What do you want to do with her?"

Raiden relased her chin and crossed his arms over his chest. Cassie glared at him, refusing to show fear. His smile widened."Take her as a hostage. If Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade attempt to stop me, their daughter will serve as an excellent bargaining chip."

Bargaining chip? Oh hell no! There was no way she was letting anyone take her hostage. Not without a fight. Thunder God or not, he was not going to make her go anywhere against her will.

Kano nodded at his new employer's command and unconsciously moved his knife from Cassie's throat far enough for her to lean away from the blade and elbow him in the stomach. He grunted, allowing her to slip from his grasp and kick a surprised Raiden into the wall.

Dropping to her knees, Cassie cupped her fists together and slammed them into Kano's groin. She tackled him to the ground and punched him several times in the face. Kano knocked her off him with a punch of his own, stunning her long enough for him to grab and headbutt her twice. He then launched her into the air so her head would hit the ceiling and kicked her in the chest. She landed in a split and quickly got to her feet.

Her pistols were on the nightstand next to her bed. Without hesitation, she ran to get them, barely avoiding Kano as he lunged for her with his butterfly knife. She snatched the firearms and twisted around just in time to fire two rounds at Kano, both of which went into his shoulders. As she did this, Kano flung one of his knives at her. It was only her quick reaction that prevented the blade from impaling her chest, though she had to stifle a hiss of pain as it zipped past her face and left a cut on her cheek.

Ignoring the stinging pain, she decided her best option was to make it to the door before Kano or Raiden recovered. This thought crossed her mind a second before she heard the familiar voices of her mother and her friends as well as pounding the door. Relief filled her heart as she realized they'd heard the noises coming from her room and were desperately trying to get inside. Her fingers were just about to open the door when lightning struck her from behind and she fell to her knees, screaming in agony.

"Cassie!" Her mother's voice yelled. The pounding became harder."Open the goddamn door!"

"Cass!" Jacqui's voice was equally frantic.

Cassie's fingers tightened around the doorknob. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she fought against the unbearable pain of the Thunder God's lightning. Raiden's sadistic laughter sent chills down her spine. Her eyes shut tightly as she gathered whatever strength she had left and snatched her pistol from the floor.

The look of shock on Raiden's face as soon as the bullet hit him in the knee made a weak smirk spread across her face. Taking advantage of his distracted state, she turned to open the door, but there was no need. By now, Sonya Blade could no longer control herself and violently kicked the door open. Cassie fell into her mother's arms with a cry of relief.

"My God!" The older blonde gasped at the sight of her battered and bruised daughter.

"Sonya Blade." Raiden said coldly.

"Raiden." She whispered."What happened to you?"

"Mom..." Cassie groaned."S-Shinnok...his head...revenants...Kano..."

" **Kano**?!" Sonya's eyes widened in horror.

"Somebody say my name?" Said scumbag asked. Despite his wounds, he remained on his feet, meeting Sonya's glare with a smirk."Good to see you again, baby. I'm afraid Uncle Raiden and I are taking Cassie with us to make sure you and Papa Cage behave yourselves."

"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" Sonya screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Looks like the revenants weren't kidding about the whole corruption thing." Kung Jin muttered under his breath when he saw Raiden's new appearance.

"Master Hasashi and I have both seen Raiden corrupted before." Takeda said."But not to this extent. Then again, he almost killed me before he came to his senses so..."

"This isn't gonna end well." Jacqui finished with a sigh as she got ready to fight.

"My apologies, Sonya Blade." Raiden titled his head."But I cannot allow you to stop me from doing what must be done. Having your daughter as a hostage will ensure that you and Johnny Cage do not interfere."

Before the pissed off mom could respond, Jax placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped forward protectively in front of his best friend, daughter, and the girl he regarded as his niece."Raiden, this ain't you. It's Shinnok's corruption. You saved Earthrealm three times even with all the sacrifices you had to make. Don't let this ruin everything you worked so hard to prevent."

Raiden chuckled."I am touched by your speech, Jackson Briggs, but I assure you I am not ruining anything. Earthrealm has suffered enough because of my hesitation. No longer will I allow that to continue. All threats to Earthrealm must be destroyed."

"In case you haven't noticed," Kung Jin sneered, pointing at Kano,"that scumbag you've got with you **is** an actual threat to Earthrealm. So is the rest of his criminal crew."

"The Black Dragon and I have a mutual agreement that they be given full pardons in exchange for aiding me in destroying Kotal Kahn's champions in the tournament."

"Tournament?" Cassie groaned, eyes wide.

"Indeed." The deity nodded."The Elder Gods have accepted Kotal Kahn's request that Outworld be given the chance to defend itself as Earthrealm had been years ago. Only through victory in Mortal Kombat can I achieve my goal."

"You're going to merge Outworld with Earthrealm?!" Jax exclaimed.

"Eventually, yes. If that is that is what must be done in order to protect Earthrealm, I will not hesitate to do so."

"You can't do that!" Kung Jin protested."You'll become a tyrant no better than Shao Kahn!"

"Do not dare compare me to that monster!" Raiden growled."He cared for nothing more than conquest after conquest. I, on the other hand, have always had Earthrealm's safety in mind."

Takeda shook his head."Until now, you mean."

"Raiden." Sonya said firmly."What you're planning to do is insane. Don't go through with it or I **will** put you down."

Raiden laughed at her."You are foolishly brave to threaten a god, Sonya Blade."

"Shinnok was an Elder God and look at how easily both my ex-husband **and** my daughter took him down."

He scoffed, ignoring her words with an arrogant wave of his hand."He was a fallen Elder God by then and too pompous for his own good. I am superior."

"Really?" Jacqui raised a taunting eyebrow."Because if you ask me, you're just as conceited and thick-headed."

"Jacqui..." Jax grasped his daughter's arm while Takeda cast his girlfriend a worried glance.

"Watch your tone when speaking to a god, Jacqueline Briggs." Raiden spat.

"Just proved my point." She spat back, Takeda's hands on her shoulders and Jax's fingers squeezing her arm serving as the only things preventing her from attacking the Thunder God.

"I don't care who or what you are!" Sonya hissed."You're not coming anywhere near my daughter. Not without getting through me first."

Raiden sighed, shaking his head."A pity. I hoped you would listen to reason, but I had forgotten how stubborn you are."

"Reason?" She laughed humorlessly."This coming from the god who's become more of a psychopath than all of the monsters and murderers we've faced over the years combined!"

"Enough!" He yelled, turning to give Kano a nod."Take the girl."

Kano nodded back, twirling his butterfly knives as he flicked his head at Sonya."Hand the brat over, baby, and no one will get hurt."

"Except you, scum!" Cassie hissed, gritting her teeth against the pain from Raiden's lightning.

"You're hardly in any position to be threatening anybody, little girl." He replied.

"No, but I am." Sonya stated, helping the younger woman sit against the wall while she turned to deal with Kano and Raiden."Like I said; if you want my daughter, you're gonna have to go through me first!"

"And us too." Jax added, coming to stand beside her. Jacqui, Kung Jin, and Takeda did the same.

Raiden's eyes narrowed."Very well." A smirk spread across the deity's face as he raised his and nodded."I will deal with you all first."

The last thing Cassie heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was the screams of her mother and friends as they were electrocuted by Raiden.

* * *

 _Wow, been a little while since my last update and apologies for the wait. I am very pleased to see that a lot of people are still enjoying the story and regarding the comment about Fujin appearing, I promise he will make an appearance soon enough. I just have two more chapters left before I introduce him into the story. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 7:Ferra/Torr_


	8. Chapter 7:FerraTorr

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"We're on the same team now. I promise to look after you. No-one will harm you as long as I'm around."  
— Louise Nicks (Soren: The Angel & The Prize Fighter)

 **Chapter 7:Ferra/Torr**

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Worry.

Ever since Torr got hurt by Spear Man and Lightning Hand, Ferra experienced and expressed this emotion in different ways. From yelling at Bang Bang during his target practice, begging Mac Mac to carry her, demanding the doctors let her see Torr, swearing revenge on those responsible for hurting her companion, and currently to sitting at his bedside while he slept. The doctors said Torr needed rest if he was going to get better and allowed Ferra to sit with him on the condition that she tell them when he awoke.

Ferra was seated in a chair next to Torr's bed, holding his hand and listening to the sounds of his snores with her brows knitted into a frown. Ferra no like it when Torr was hurt and Torr no like it when she was hurt either. They fighters who were no good alone. Stabby men learned that the hard way when they took Torr away from her. There were others meanies who tried to separate the pair before and after the stabby men. All of them either lost their eyes so Ferra could add them to hers and Torr's collection, or were lucky enough to get away without being squished.

People asked more than once how old Ferra was and where she came from, but Ferra no remember. Ferra no want to remember. She like everything the way it was. Ferra/Torr fight as one! Ferra/Torr crush heads of meanies who try to hurt Big Bossy! Ferra/Torr stay together forever!

 _You no take Torr away from me!_

Just thinking about the number of times Lightning Hand tried to separate the duo made Ferra's blood boil. How dare that meanie think of taking Torr away? Torr was all Ferra had and Ferra was all Torr had! No one understood Torr like Ferra did! No one protected Ferra like Torr did! Without the other's presence, neither had a reason to live or fight.

"You should rest, child." Ferra frowned as she looked up into Sheeva's eyes. She was so engrossed with watching over Torr that she didn't notice the Shokan queen entering the room and coming to stand beside her chair.

Ferra shook her head."Torr no good alone."

"I doubt Torr would approve of you neglecting your own health." The fact that Sheeva was right irritated Ferra, but she simply shook her head again and repeated her earlier words."Torr no good alone."

"Neither are you as it would seem." Sheeva stated, crossing her upper arms and clasping her lower hands behind her back.

Ferra wanted so badly to bite the four-armed woman's ears off and add her eyes to hers and Torr's collection. Yet she couldn't deny the truth of her statement. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she vainly tried to blink them away. A sigh escaped Sheeva's lips when the child let out a sob and buried her face in her hands. Kneeling down, she picked the girl up with her lower arms and used her upper arms to rub her back soothingly.

"This no fair!" The child sobbed, hugging Sheeva by the neck and burying her head in the Shokan woman's shoulder."Torr not deserve to be hurt by Lightning Hand! Torr can't go away! Ferra can't fight without Torr! Ferra need Torr and Torr need Ferra! Torr have to get better soon!"

Sheeva sighed."We all must recover quickly if we are to defeat Raiden." She murmured, looking down at Torr's sleeping form with pity.

"D-Does Shokan Queenie think Torr get better in time for tournament?" Ferra asked, biting her trembling bottom lip.

Sheeva closed her eyes."We can only hope for the best, Ferra." She tightened her grip on the girl and turned to leave the room."Come. Let us allow him to recover without any disturbances."

"Ferra not disturbance!" She hissed, glaring at Sheeva.

"Of course not." Sheeva replied."But you require as much rest and recovery from your own wounds as your companion does. Do not argue, child. I can see the bags under your eyes from two restless nights."

Shokan Queenie right. Ferra hated to admit, but it was true. To say that she was tired would be an understatement. Torr not like it if Ferra stay up all night worrying for him. Torr worry about Ferra as much as Ferra worry about Torr. Torr would want Ferra to rest, so she held on to Shokan Queenie and nodded her head in acquiescence. Ferra **was** really sleepy. Her eyes even hurt from staying open for two whole days. Ferra needed sleep. It was pure fact.

"Tell me something, child." Sheeva said. Ferra leaned back to give her a curious look."I have heard some of Kotal Kahn's soldiers whispering about D'Vorah. I attempted to question the emperor about her whereabouts, but he would not disclose any details. Do you know what happened to her?"

Ferra scowled at the mention of Lady Bug, someone Ferra/Torr trusted for years until she betrayed Big Bossy for Shinnok. She hated seeing the sad look on Big Bossy's face when news of her treason reached him. Lady Bug was lucky to have been imprisoned in Earthrealm, because if Ferra saw D'Vorah again, she'd claw that lying meanie's eyes out and let Torr smash all of her ugly babies.

"Lady Bug meanie!" She exclaimed."She no friend of Ferra/Torr anymore! She lie to Big Bossy and help Netherrealm! Lady Bug meanie and liar! Ferra bite ears off if she ever see Lady Bug again! Why you ask about her?"

"I was merely curious." Sheeva said before changing the subject."What of Rain and Tanya? I am surprised they did not try to attack the palace with the emperor's forces in such a weak state."

Ferra shrugged impatiently."Big Bossy not sure where Tawny and Rainy are after Lady Bug kill Leena. All he tell Ferra/Torr is to squeeze, squish them!" She waved her hands wildly to empathize her statement. Sheeva pretended not to notice the way Ferra giggled as she pictured doing the things she just said she would to Rain and Tanya.

"Shokan Queenie?" Ferra's voice suddenly became tentative and worried.

Sheeva raised an eyebrow and tilted her head."Yes?"

"What...what if Big Bossy no beat Lightning Hand? What happen to Ferra/Torr then? What happen to Bang Bang, Mac Mac, and Lizard Man? What happen to Big Bossy?"

A frown crossed Sheeva's features as she considered how to respond. With a sigh, she set the child down on one of the cots and clasped her lower hands behind her back. The look in Ferra's eyes was desperate for an answer, although she knew it would more than likely not be a pleasant one. Several minutes passed before Sheeva broke the silence.

"You may all die." It was neither a guess nor a statement, merely a possibility."Or you will be enslaved." That was another possibility.

Ferra's eyes widened in horror."No slave!" She screamed, jumping out of the cot and shaking her head vehemently."Ferra no slave! Ferra no pet! Ferra rather die than be slave or pet for Lightning Hand!"

Rather than reply, Sheeva pressed her lips together and looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with Ferra.

A chill ran down Ferra's spine as she thought about what Sheeva said and was once again vexed by how right the Shokan Queen's words were. Not for the first time in the last two days, she felt tears threatening to escape her eyes and did nothing to prevent herself from falling to her knees and sobbing as loudly as possible. Sheeva knelt down beside her to offer comfort, but Ferra ignored her. All she could think about was a badly wounded Torr lying in bed and what would happen if he didn't recover in time for the tournament.

It wasn't long before she realized that she was no longer worried, but afraid.

* * *

 _Hey! As usual, I am pleased to see so many people are enjoying my story and I apologize if this chapter felt too short or if Ferra or Sheeva seemed OOC. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 8:Frost_


	9. Chapter 8:Frost

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Confidence is a fine trait. Over-confidence isn't."  
— Laurell K. Hamilton (Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #9))

 **Chapter 8:Frost**

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Overconfidence.

Even before she joined the Lin Kuei, Frost struggled with this emotion for years. It was because of this emotion that she lost her winning streak in the deathmatch fight club to Cassie Cage and endured a humiliating defeat in the process. Not a day went by that Frost didn't wish Johnny Cage's brat had killed her before the arrival of the Black Dragon Clan. Death was preferable to the knowledge of her failure. When Raiden told her of a tournament held by Kuai Liang to find new members of the Lin Kuei, Frost eagerly accepted his suggestion. She was determined to become stronger and joining the Lin Kuei would help her do that.

Despite a rough first meeting, she proved herself worthy of his tutelage. He went as far as to break the clan's traditions by personally training her. Physically, she never failed to impress him. Mentally, however, she was a disappointment. The number of times Sub-Zero tried and failed to reach Frost humility was not worth remembering. Frost didn't understand the need to humble herself when she was clearly one of the most powerful warriors in the clan. If anything, the weaklings should be groveling at her feet. Frost could easily kill them, yet **she** was the one who had to show them respect which, as far as she was concerned, they didn't deserve?

Another thing she didn't understand was the difference between fear and respect. Did fear not lead to respect? Sub-Zero scolded her fiercly when she said this, claiming that fearing someone made you hate them, while respect earned you trust and loyalty. To Frost, that notion was almost as ridiculous as peace between the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei. How could Sub-Zero have been foolish enough to trust Scorpion of all people? He wasn't even a human being anymore, just an undead caitiff.

 _There will be no peace, Scorpion!_

Frost clenched her fists as she recalled that day years ago when Sub-Zero froze her for attacking the former spectre. She heard him speak of her as if she wasn't there, stating that she was powerful, but lacked the judgement to see the wisdom of peace. What was there to see? How could there be any wisdom in peace? Had the Grandmaster truly gone insane? He should be thanking her for trying to stop him from making the biggest mistake in their clan's history. Instead she was punished for what he claimed was a complete lack of respect in him and his decisions.

In all honesty, Frost was beginning to grow frustrated with her mentor's own lack of judgement. Not to mention his ideas of mercy and respect for one's enemies. His belief that peace could actually be achieved between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu was nothing short of disgusting. It didn't matter what treaties were signed or promises made, because everyone knew you could never trust your enemies not to attack or betray you again. If peace was what Sub-Zero wanted, he should have killed Scorpion and his pathetic clan when he had the chance and made sure that they stayed dead this time, never to come back. None of the consequences the Lin Kuei faced for their previous leaders' stupidity would have happened if **she** was in charge...

Realizing where her thoughts were leading, Frost quickly shook them away and forced herself to relax with a sigh. Her fists unclenched. Only then did she notice how tense she'd become while lost in these dark thoughts of hers. As much as she hated to admit it, Sub-Zero was not entirely wrong about how arrogant she could be sometimes. Even Frost had to acknowledge that there was still much left for her to learn.

Thinking about this all was what kept her awake for the last few hours when she should have been sleeping. She gave up on finding rest two hours ago and was currently sitting on her bunk trying to meditate without disturbing her sleeping clan mates. Try as she might, her mind could not achieve peace. The anger, arrogance, and greed kept on clouding her mind and driving her insane. It was an hour before sunrise when she decided to stop wasting her time and went outside in the hopes that some fresh air, cold as it was, would help her calm down a bit.

Making herself comfortable on the steps outside, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. The cold air did little to soothe her nerves, but she welcomed it nevertheless. She closed her eyes and tried to meditate again. Just as she seemed to finally relax, a bloodcurdling cry rang throughout the temple. Her eyes snapped open as she recognized whom the voice belonged to: Sub-Zero.

Immediately, Frost was on her feet and running toward the Grandmaster's quarters alongside several guards on duty and now awake warriors who had also heard Sub-Zero crying out. As they neared the door to Sub-Zero's quarters, another cry was heard followed by chilling laughter. Frost recognized whom that voice belonged to as well: Raiden.

Gesturing for her clan mates to step back, Frost froze the door and with a powerful kick, shattered it to pieces. Lin Kuei warriors flooded into the room, Frost being the last to enter. She froze at the sight before her: Sub-Zero lay on the ground, groaning in agony while Raiden stood over him, hand raised as he prepared to electrocute him a third time.

Frost took advantage of his distracted state to slide across the floor and use her leg to trip him. As he fell, she curled her hand into a fist and punched him in the face. Her clan mates joined the fight, outnumbering and temporarily outmatching the Thunder God. But then Raiden recovered and reality set in; he was a god, and they had done nothing more than piss him off.

All Frost could do was watch in horror as three of her clan mates were burnt to a crisp by Raiden's lightning. Two gasps behind her drew her attention to the door where two more fell dead to the floor, their throats violently slashed. Kano stood over the two corpses, throwing her a smirk and wink as he held up his butterfly knife so she could see the blood covering it. His fellow Black Dragon members had already made quick work of several other Lin Kuei warriors. Another thing soon became clear: the Black Dragon Clan was not the only back up Raiden brought with him. Scorpion and the Shirai Ryu burst from all sides, engaging their longtime rivals in combat. Frost formed a pair of ice daggers and struggled to defend herself against Jarek and two Shirai Ryu Warriors.

The screams of her clansmen as they were either cut down by the Black Dragon and Shirai Ryu or electrocuted by Raiden made her feel as if her ears would start bleeding. The more experienced warriors were able to hold out on their own, but the younger and newly recruited ones fell like flies. Some were Frost's age. Others were barely into their teenage years. And they were being killed like animals...

"Stop!" Raiden's voice brought a temporary end to the conflict. Scorpion and Kano gestured for their followers to stop what they were doing. Sub-Zero was clutching his side and gritting his teeth against the pain in his whole body from Raiden's attack. Frost dropped her daggers and rushed to his aid, wrapping one arm around his waist and urging him to wrap his arm around her shoulders to support his weight and help him stand. She glared at Raiden, watching with icy eyes as he turned his attention to her and broke the silence.

"Frost." He tilted his head, smirking. She scowled beneath her mask, noticing how her fellow Lin Kuei also made sure not to lower their guard around their foes."You have certainly come a long way from your time in the fight club. I am impressed."

Frost rolled her eyes."I'm flattered. No really. You have no idea how long I've waited for to hear a compliment from you." Her voice was wet with sarcasm. She glanced at Scorpion with contempt."I see you've brought your Shirai Ryu dog with you. Oh and the Black Dragon idiots are here too. Forgive me if I'm not surprised."

Raiden's smirk vanished."Hanzo Hashashi is merely atoning for his mistake in killing Quan Chi and causing Shinnok's invasion. Kano and his comrades have agreed to aid me in exchange for full pardons for their crimes. I will, after all, need help if I am to succeed in defeating Kotal Kahn. Weak as he and his forces are at the moment, they will still not be easy to defeat in the tournament. Sub-Zero, along with several others, may pose a threat to that and must be dealt with."

"Y-You have gone mad!" Sub-Zero said through gritted teeth."Only Shao Kahn would stoop so low!"

Raiden scowled."I am nothing like that tyrant."

"No." Sub-Zero agreed, shaking his head."You are far worse than he and Shinnok combined!" He groaned in pain as he spoke. Had Frost not been supporting his weight, he would not be able to stay on his feet. He shook his head again and looked at his Lin Kuei Warriors."S-Stop him. He has taken Cassandra Cage hostage and...will kill us all..." His head dropped as he fainted from the combination of pain and fatigue.

"Get the Grandmaster and the younger Lin Kuei out of here." One of the older Lin Kuei said, stepping forward protectively in front of Sub-Zero and Frost."We will deal with these intruders."

"But-" She started to argue.

"No, wait." Raiden said, addressing Frost once more."Frost, you are overconfident and still have much to learn, but you are powerful and have the potential to become something great one day. Join my forces and after we win the tournament, I will give you what you desire most."

Frost's eyes widened."The Dragon Medallion." She whispered in awe, her grip on Sub-Zero loosening as she thought about his offer. To say that it was tempting would be an understatement.

Her eyes falling shut, Frost pictured herself as Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. There were so many things she could do differently with that kind of power, that kind of knowledge and skill. But was she ready? Would she ever be?

 _I'm an orphan. I earned spot here in sweat and blood._

For all her arrogance in having taken so many lives before losing to Cassie Cage, thinking about her actions now made Frost disgusted with herself. She had been a source of entertainment for cowards too lazy or weak to put up a fight themselves and had taken pride in that. So much blood was shed, sweat and tears lost, and for what? To be someone else's killing and money machine? No. Never again would she allow herself to turn into **that**.

"Find someone else to do your dirty work for you." She spat."I won't be your pet killer like Kano and Scorpion."

Raiden shook his head and sighed, genuinely disappointed."A pity." He turned to his followers."I have no further need of them. Kill them all. I have more important matters to deal with at the moment." He then raised his hand and teleported away.

As soon as he was gone, the fighting began anew. Frost threw herself and Sub-Zero to the ground as arrows, bullets, and Elder Gods knew what else were fired at them. Two younger Lin Kuei, one a boy and the other a girl looking to be no more than thirteen or fourteen, rushed to their aid. She could hear Kano and Scorpion's vexed shouts as they and their minions were prevented from reaching the Grandmaster.

Jarek and Tasia cut down multiple Lin Kuei, refusing to back down until they managed to corner their target. Curling into a ball, Jarek hurled himself right at her. Frost and Sub-Zero came crashing to the floor, the two younger Lin Kuei unable to help them as Tasia suddenly appeared in a cloud of smoke behind them and killed them before they realized she was there. She turned and charged at Frost, preparing to kill her as well while Jarek followed her example.

Frost shot the ground with her ice blast, freezing both Black Dragon members in the process. She knelt down and helped Sub-Zero stand, dragging him to the door. Try as she might, there was no ignoring the screams of friend and foe alike, nor the clash of blades and echoes of gunfire. And to think she once enjoyed those sounds, enjoyed making those sounds...

She shook the memories away. Now was not the time to get lost in her thoughts. Sub-Zero had awoken at this point, and was relying on his student to help him stay on his feet, though his steps quickened a bit as what little strength remained returned to him. They were barely out the door when a kunai attached to a metal chain impaled Frost's shoulder from behind and yanked her backwards, Sub-Zero losing his balance without her aid and slamming his hand against the wall to steady himself.

"Get over here!" Scorpion yelled. Frost closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as a fist collided with her head, followed by a kick to the side that knocked her across the ground. She rolled away as his foot landed where her head was a second ago. Her elbow met his face, a smirk crossing her lips as she felt his nose break. Her satisfaction was short-lived as he punched her in the stomach then struck her in the face, knocking her back to the floor. He walked over to her and trampled on her chest. Frost didn't need to be a genius to know he cracked at least two ribs by doing so. A moan of pain escaped her lips.

Were it not for Sub-Zero's intervention, Scorpion would have finished her right then and there. She faintly heard the former spectre's grunt of surprise as his longtime rival's Kori blade crossed with his own sword. Frost sluggishly got up. Clutching her chest and fighting back tears of pain, she reminded herself she'd suffered worse and formed a pair of ice daggers. She lunged at Scorpion, catching him off guard with the ferocity of her attacks. Sub-Zero rejoined the fight and together they were able to outmatch Scorpion.

The battle was now turning in favor of the Lin Kuei while the Shirai Ryu and Black Dragon Clan were losing. Kano's butterfly knives connected with her ice daggers. She noticed he was weak from a previous fight, probably while capturing Cassie Cage. Frost doubted the Cage brat would go down without a fight, and as much as she loathed the other girl, she was grateful for the advantage Kano's wounds granted her in beating him. She disarmed him, showing no mercy in the kicks she unleashed on his shoulder and chest until he crashed into a wall. Tremor was nowhere in sight. Why Kano would not bring him was beyond her, though she dared not complain. Stupid as he was, Tremor was a dangerous enemy on the battlefield, his powers providing an advantage the Black Dragon could have used.

"Enough!" Quick as he left, Raiden returned, his expression a mix of ire and humiliation at the failure of his minions."I shall deal with you all myself!"

Lightning roared in equal volume to the agonized cries of the Lin Kuei. Frost fell to her knees, hearing Sub-Zero's kori blade shatter as it hit the floor when he dropped it. The agony of his foes amused Raiden to no end. The Thunder God was cackling, the sadistic glee he felt at seeing these strong warriors crumble before him and his power providing great mirth.

Finally he relented, the force of the lightning's abrupt stop sending his victims into the wall. Frost slid down into sitting position on the floor, her body in so much pain she couldn't even whimper. Sub-Zero was desperately trying to stand up, to no avail. Raiden electrocuted him mercilessly, stopping only when the Grandmaster lay unconscious on the floor.

Frost dared not move lest she further aggravate her wounds, but she found that sitting perfectly still didn't lessen the pain either. She could not help the Grandmaster, could not help her fellow Lin Kuei, could not even help herself. How utterly pathetic. Raiden turned his attention from Sub-Zero to her, his lips twisting into an ugly grin. Slowly he approached, eager to make her suffer for rejecting his offer.

"You should have taken my offer when you had the chance, Frost." He sneered down at her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the end."Now you will die for-"

"Raiden!" A male voice boomed. Frost kept her eyes shut."Stop!" Someone else had come, she realized, and that someone brought others with him. She almost shouted with joy, then remembered it was best not to move due to her injuries. But by the Elder Gods, she was saved! She didn't care who had come or who was with him, so long as she was safe from Raiden.

"Fujin." Frost could practically hear the Thunder God's smile as he addressed the new arrival."I would have thought you of all people would understand my actions. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Raiden..." Fujin's voice was filled with horror and disbelief."W-What have you done?"

She heard nothing else of their conversation before she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 _Hey! Sorry for the wait. This chapter took awhile to write. To be honest, when I first started writing this story I had every intention of having Rain and Frost work with Raiden. It wasn't until I started writing their individual chapters that I changed my mind and decided to try something else with their characters. I hope I haven't made her OOC or anything. Oh, and Fujin finally appeared! Yay! :) Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 9:Sindel_


	10. Chapter 9:Sindel

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long."  
— Marie Antoinette

 **Chapter 9:Sindel**

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Sorrow.

It was an emotion Sindel had not experienced in centuries. Only when Quan Chi resurrected her a second time, this time to serve him, did she finally remember her true past, the one Kitana died trying to tell her about. The past Shao Kahn erased from her memories to prevent her from betraying him again. She had killed her own daughter, and so many others, all because of Shao Kahn and Quan Chi...

Sindel closed her eyes in an attempt to suppress the memories of the part she played in not just Shao Kahn's invasion, but Shinnok's as well. Her encounter with Cassandra Cage was still fresh in her mind. Then there was Sareena. It was easy to ignore their words at fist, but ever since Kotal Kahn paid an unwelcome visit to the Netherrealm and Ermac revealed that her husband, her **true** husband and the love of her life, was one of the souls contained within him, she couldn't stop thinking about how right they were.

As much as she hated Quan Chi for what he put her through, she refused to stop believing that her bond with Kitana was strengthened through death. Insane as it sounded, a part of her was grateful for what the sorcerer had done. Another part of her wanted to rip his head off with her bare hands. His and Hanzo Hashashi's for denying her the chance to kill the necromancer herself.

She stole a glance at Ermac as he, Erron Black, Reptile, and Kotal Kahn were lead at gunpoint by Stryker down the hall. Kabal walked beside her, his expressed hidden by the mask he wore. If not for Jerrod's voice calling out to her, she would not have turned around and decided to take the being of 10,000 souls and his companions to the palace. Her hands remained clasped behind her back as she walked, the confusing mix of emotions she hadn't felt in years tearing apart what was left of her corrupted soul.

Memories of her life before Shao Kahn ruined her happiness were playing on an endless loop in her mind. She remembered Jerrod's warm embrace, his sense of humor, his devotion and determination to protecting his family and his realm, his dying breaths as Shao Kahn killed him right in front of her...

Why?! Why did he have to die? Why did she have to lose the love of her life and become the prize of a tyrant who conquered and destroyed everything he touched? Why did it have to hurt so much? She died twice and was brought back to life twice, yet a few memories of events that occurred thousands of years ago were threatening to break her? How pathetic was that?

They came to a stop, Sindel biting her lip as she prepared to deliver the news to Kitana. She wasn't sure how her daughter would react. Kitana had grown up not knowing the identity of her true father for most of her life, but that didn't mean the news wouldn't be shocking to hear nonetheless. Never did mother or daughter think the man they lost so many years ago was so close yet so far away. Was he even the Jerrod she knew anymore? Or was he just another soul trapped within Ermac struggling to escape its prison? Sindel shut her eyes and nodded at her two fellow revenants before opening the door and leading them inside.

Kitana and Liu Kang looked up in surprise at the sound of the door opening and footsteps tapping against the floor as more uninvited guests were brought to them. Kung Lao looked less than impressed when he recognized Kotal Kahn being escorted alongside his minions and forced to kneel before the rulers of the Netherrealm. No one failed to notice that Ermac was not kneeling. The being of 10,000 souls was silently staring at Kitana, who raised an eyebrow under his scrutinizing gaze. She exchanged glances with Liu Kang and gave the Osh-Tekk warrior a stony look.

"Kotal Kahn." Her voice was as calm and deadly as the steel fans she carried. Were Sindel not so shaken by her recent discovery about Ermac, she would have felt a bit of pride in her daughter's intimidation skills.

"Surprised I rose above my station?" The emperor of Outworld asked with a ghost of a smile.

Kitana snorted."Above your ability." She smirked beneath her mask, folding her hands in her lap as she leaned forward to glare at him."I do not know why you are here, but I believe the bloody and battered state you and your lackeys are in suggests you have just suffered a very humiliating defeat."

Liu Kang smirked."It would be not the first." He frowned and narrowed his eyes at Ermac, giving Sindel a look that demanded an explanation.

Ermac turned to Sindel."Do you wish to tell them or should we?"

"I can always do it." Kabal suggested. Stryker shook his head.

"Tell us what?" Kung Lao demanded.

"Kitana." Sindel spoke to her daughter in a tone that made it clear how urgent the matter was."One of the souls contained within Ermac is...is your father."

Kitana stood up from her throne, eyes narrowed furiously."Shao Kahn was not my-"

"No. Not Shao Kahn." Ermac said."Your true father who died at your stepfather's hands when you were nothing but an infant.

Kitana's eyes widened."King Jerrod." She took a step back, almost falling as Liu Kang caught her arm to steady her. Sindel struggled to keep her composure. It was taking everything in her not to cry out in vexation.

"What kind of sick jest is this?!" Liu Kang growled.

"I assure you," Sindel hissed,", this is not a jest. I heard Jerrod's voice call out to me. His soul is indeed among those contained within Ermac."

"Trapped, you mean." Kung Lao corrected. Kabal and Stryker exchanged a glance, their opinions on the matter unclear. Liu Kang's golden eyes glinted with a fury his fellow revenants normally saw when Raiden or Shao Kahn were mentioned.

The one person Sindel wanted to hear from remained silent. Kitana's eyes were narrowed as she gazed down at the floor, avoiding eye contact. Sindel had only seen her daughter like this once: when Jade died. She remembered the grief Kitana endured before it faded, turning into cold, hard anger, and then nothing. When the princess finally spoke, the deadly, calm tone of voice returned, though Sindel noticed her fingers were squeezing Liu Kang's arm so hard that he winced.

"Why have you come?" She addressed Kotal Kahn and ignored Ermac completely.

"Raiden has gone mad." The response evoked a snort from Kabal.

"Oh really?" The masked man's voice was filled with sarcasm."We didn't notice that when he threw Shinnok's live head at Liu Kang and Kitana's feet."

"Or when he sent his new champions and their demonness friend to spy on us." Stryker added.

"It is not that simple." Kotal shook his head."He and the Shirai Ryu invaded Outworld and attempted to place it under his dominion. I...asked the Elder Gods for a chance to defend ourselves and now I must defeat him in Mortal Kombat to save my realm from his tyranny."

"And just how is this our concern?" Kitana asked dryly.

"You know the answer to that question already, Kitana." Ermac stepped forward, the soul of Jerrod taking control again.

"F-Father?" Kitana asked slowly and hesitantly but still cold as ice.

"Yes, my daughter." He replied, nodding. Sindel watched, frozen in place as Ermac/Jerrod ascended up the stairs leading to where the rulers of the Netherrealm sat. Kitana's wave of the hand stopped anyone from intervening as she stood up in time for Ermac/Jerrod to stop in front of her. Liu Kang observed them, clearly not trusting the being of 10,000 souls but trusting Kitana to handle the situation how she saw fit.

Ermac/Jerrod brought up a hand to touch Kitana's face. He ran his thumb over the cracks of the corrupted skin of her cheek."I am sorry." He whispered."If I had been able to do something-"

"There was nothing you could have done." She said."Nothing anyone could have done. Shao Kahn is to blame for what happened to us. As is Raiden."

He shook his head."Shao Kahn filled your head with lies. Raiden led you to the truth."

"He murdered me!" Liu Kang screamed.

"He led us to our deaths!" Kung Lao shouted.

"I gave him my trust!" Kitana snarled."We all did. And he repaid us by...by allowing Quan Chi to turn us into these...monstrous husks of our former selves!"

Sindel said nothing. With the exception of Kung Lao and Liu Kang, she had killed all of the people who now served the Netherrealm alongside her, yet none of them blamed her for their plight. She received genuine sympathy from her fellow revenants. They blamed Shao Kahn, Raiden, and Quan Chi, not her. Nightwolf, even in his twisted and dark state, reminded her she was not in control of her actions at the time. When Quan Chi was alive and used them as his servants, only Scorpion willingly follows his orders. The rest of them fought halfheartedly against the necromancer's influence until Jade...

"Perhaps." Ermac/Jerrod said."But that was not his intention at the time. Now it is. If he does merge Outworld with Earthrealm, the Netherrealm will be next. He will not stop until everything and everyone whom he perceives as a threat is destroyed."

"And the only way to stop him," Erron Black drawled,", is us workin' together." Liu Kang made a gesture toward Stryker, who nodded in response before striking Black in the back of the head with his baton, knocking him unconscious. Sindel smirked in spite of herself at the sight. The mercenary needed to learn to remain silent when his superiors were talking.

"As much as I am loathe to admit it," Reptile hissed,", Black is correct." Stryker looked ready to use his tazer on the overgrown lizard, but a gesture from Kitana stopped him.

"They are right." The princess stated, moving away from Ermac/Jerrod and returning to Liu Kang's side."It appears the demonness and the children she brought with her were telling the truth; Raiden did not send them here."

"Then who did?" Kabal questioned.

"Perhaps Jackson Briggs or Sonya Blade." Sindel suggested."It is no secret that they cling to the false hope that we can one day be fully restored to life."

"Without Quan Chi, that is not possible." Liu Kang sneered.

"We may thank Hanzo Hasashi for that." Kung Lao spat.

"All the more reason for us to work together." Kotal Kahn spoke up."Raiden led you almost all of you to your deaths and Hanzo Hasashi ruined your chances of freedom. Not only that," He paused and turned to Kabal,", but I have also heard that he offered the Black Dragon Clan full pardons in exchange for their aid in the tournament."

Even with his mask on, Sindel recognized the look of shock on Kabal's face while Stryker scowled at the mere mention of the Black Dragon Clan.

"Who else do you plan on requesting aid from?" Kitana asked.

"Sheeva has already promised her aid in the tournament, but her forces are still recovering from Havik's actions."

"That was years ago." Sindel argued.

"The losses they endured are not easy to recover from, my love." Ermac/Jerrod replied.

"Even if we were to join forces," Liu Kang said,", it would not be enough to stop Raiden. Your forces as well as ours as both still in recovery from invasions we either endured or performed ourselves."

"How much time do you have left until the tournament?" Kitana asked.

"Five days." Kotal replied.

Kitana sighed, leaning back in her throne."Lovely." She muttered, looking like she was in deep thought for a moment before her eyes widened and she glanced at her emperor. Liu Kang seemed to realize what she was thinking and nodded his head in agreement. He stood up and waved a hand toward the door."Stryker, Kabal, go to the dungeons and bring the two treacherous demonesses here."

"It appears Ashrah can finally prove herself useful." Kung Lao remarked.

"And Sareena as well." Kitana added in a whisper.

"Emperor, Empress!" Enenra burst into the room.

"What is it this time?" Liu Kang demanded, irritated.

"It seems we are practically begging for uninvited guests." Enenra replied, equally vexed. He turned to the door."Bring her in!"

Nightwolf entered the room, dragging another prisoner with him in shackles. The prisoner was thrown to the floor and forced to kneel as Kitana and Liu Kang approached them. Kitana knelt down and tilted the prisoner's chin up with her fingers, eyes widening in recognition.

"Tanya." Her grip on the treacherous whore's chin tightened, painful enough for Tanya to wince. She looked at Enenra."Who brought her here?"

"Rain." The former Lin Kuei replied."He is waiting outside the palace gates for permission to speak with you. When we attempted to refuse him, he offered Tanya as a gift and symbol of his...peaceful intentions with us."

Sindel watched as Kitana processed the information, her eyes meeting her own, then Liu Kang's, Kotal Kahn's, and finally those of Ermac/Jerrod before making her decision.

"Send him in."

* * *

 _Again, I apologize for the wait. I've been really busy but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 10:Fujin_


	11. Chapter 10:Fujin

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"The gods wanted war?  
They were about to get it."  
— Jennifer L. Armentrout (Elixir (Covenant, #3.5))

 **Chapter 10:Fujin**

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Horror.

This was the emotion Fujin felt as he gaped at the death and destruction his fellow diety had caused. Raiden and his lackeys fled before another battle could occur, having suffered their own casualties when they fought the Lin Kuei, but not before Raiden warned Fujin not to intervene. The Wind God said nothing, too aghast by his old friend's actions to speak. He watched in silence as Jax, Jacqui, Takeda, Kenshi, Kung Jin, and several Special Forces troops tended to the surviving Lin Kuei members. Half the clan was dead while the other half suffered from horrendous injuries. And it was all because of Raiden...

Fujin came hoping that the Elder Gods were wrong, that the rumors he heard of what Raiden had become and what he'd done were false, only to realize it was true, that he was denying what he already knew in his heart to be correct. The Raiden he knew was dead, replaced by a murderer no better than Shao Kahn or Shinnok. What was more tragic and ironic than anything else, however, was the fact that Raiden **corrupted** himself while **purifying** the Jinsei. He saved Earthrealm, to what avail? To pose a threat to the very same realm he swore to protect? In Raiden's twisted mind, he **was** protecting Earthrealm, and thus he did not understand the atrocities he was committing.

He remembered the first time Raiden was corrupted, how he tried to warn him against using Blood Magik. The Thunder God almost killed him, leaving him impaled by a naginta until Takeda arrived and Fujin, struggling to remain conscious, managed to tell him what happened and that the Jinsei would heal him. Raiden had not been in control of his actions then and he was saved along with the other warriors under Havik's control, yet this was not the case anymore. Now Raiden was in control of his actions. He knew what he was doing and didn't care who was hurt or killed so long as he accomplished his goals.

The Special Forces had set up camp outside the Lin Kuei Temple. He made his way through the camp to the largest tent in the center where Sonya Blade resided. The general was talking on the phone with her back facing him when he entered. He waited patiently in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. He pitied Sonya. The losses she endured and sacrifices she made to help Raiden protect Earthrealm over the years had cost her much. And now the same god she fought beside for decades had taken her daughter hostage. If there was anyone equally horrified as Fujin by Raiden's actions, it was Sonya.

She hung up a few minutes later, having spotted him standing in the doorway over her shoulder. The look on her face was one of pure emotional agony hidden behind anger. Fujin narrowed his eyes, avoiding her heated gaze. They stayed like that for what felt like forever. Then she spoke, breaking the silence with a tone as cold as ice.

"Took you long enough to get involved." She spat."Where were you when your fellow god was kidnapping my daughter?"

Fujin didn't know Sonya well, but he could tell she was in pain and needed someone to blame that pain on. It was easier to blame him instead of Raiden, though he suspected she was more angry with herself than him or the Thunder God.

"I did not know what he had done, what he had become." The Wind God spoke slowly, the words feeling hollow in his throat."The Elder Gods attempted to inform me, but I...I did not allow myself to believe until I saw the truth with my own eyes. I cannot imagine how you feel, Sonya Blade. You have my sympathy."

"I don't need your pity." If looks could kill, her glare would have reduced him to a pile of ashes."I want my daughter back and Kano and Raiden and everyone else responsible for all this chaos dead!" Angry tears poured down her face despite her efforts to prevent him from seeing them.

His gaze was filled with compassion."I am sorry."

"Yeah," Her tone and expression softened as she nodded."Me too." She turned around, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform as he approached. His hand came to rest on her shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze. She shrugged him off and sighed. The bags under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept in days and he heard her stomach growling. The last few days had clearly been trying for her, to put it mildly.

They drifted into silence. Fujin contemplated what would happen now. With his brother posing a threat to Earthrealm, the Elder Gods would have to find a way to solve that problem. There was only one solution: defeat Raiden. Once that goal was accomplished, Fujin would replace him as Protector of Earthrealm.

To say the circumstances were doleful would be an understatement. The Shirai Ryu and Black Dragon Clan were working with Raiden and Cassandra Cage was their hostage. Johnny Cage was still in the hospital recovering from his injuries during Shinnok's invasion. Sareena was a prisoner of the revenants in the Netherrealm. Sub-Zero was in a coma and those of the Lin Kuei fortunate to survive Raiden's attack were in no better condition than the Grandmaster. Raiden had fought beside them for years. He knew them like the back of his hand and had every possible advantage. Their chances of winning were one in a million.

"How much time do we have before the tournament starts?" Sonya asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Five days." Decades had passed since the last tournament and Fujin reminded himself that he was now to lead Earthrealm's kombatants. He remembered how broken Raiden was after the losses suffered during their war with Shao Kahn. The emperor was dead, but at what cost? Many of the heroes died because they trusted in Raiden's visions. Fujin assured him it wasn't his fault, but his friend was too filled with grief and self-loathing to listen. It took years for him to move on and even then he was haunted by the events. Fujin wondered if he would turn out like that, the thought causing a chill to run down his spine.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought his attention to the doorway. Jacqui stood there, her face grim and tired."Frost is awake. Says she wants to talk."

Sonya nodded."Let's go." She barked at Fujin, causing him to wince. They followed Jacqui to the tent where the injured were being treated, a comatose Sub-Zero among them. Frost lay on a cot next to his, her face covered in cuts, bruises, and burns from the fight she put up. Her left shoulder was bandaged from being impaled by Scorpion's spear while her right arm was broken and in a sling. She also had two cracked ribs and suffered from a minor concussion. Raiden had almost killed her and would have finished the job if Fujin hadn't arrived in time to stop him.

Kenshi, Takeda, Jax, and Kung Jin were standing by the female cryomancer's cot as Jacqui, Sonya, and Fujin approached. Frost shifted slightly and nodded her head at the diety in greeting. Fujin tilted his head in response.

"What happened?" Sonya spoke slowly through gritted teeth. There was no patience in her tone, no care for the younger woman's wellbeing. Her eyes glinted with contempt as she glowered at Frost, who was too exhausted to summon the energy to glare back at the blonde.

Frost closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to compose herself as she glanced at Sub-Zero's unconscious body."R-Raiden's gone insane."

"Yeah." Kung Jin said sarcastically."We noticed that."

Frost scowled. While she seemed to lack the will to return Sonya's hostility, she did not hesitate to make an exception for the archer.

"Frost." Fujin said, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it to calm her."Please tell us what happened. What did you see? What did you hear? What did Raiden do?"

Frost nodded."Okay." She sighed deeply."I-I couldn't sleep, so I went outside to get some fresh air and...I heard Sub-Zero scream. I remember running to his quarters with a bunch of other Lin Kuei Warriors. I heard Raiden laughing when we reached the door. It was locked, so I froze the door and shattered it to pieces. We all ran inside and saw Raiden standing over the Grandmaster. I didn't think, I just attacked him and we managed to overpower him at first, but he got the upper hand soon enough and let his lackeys join the fight. Kano slashed their throats, Raiden burnt them to a crisp, and Scorpion," She spat the former spectre's name with disdain,", he was no better. That dog promised there'd be peace between our clans, and yet there he was, cutting my clansmen down without a second thought. Raiden even offered me a place among his forces. I told him where he could shove that offer. Then he left. I tried to get Sub-Zero out of there, but Scorpion dragged me back in. Sub-Zero stopped him from killing me. We were winning. We practically had the Black Dragon and Shirai Ryu on their knees, but then Raiden came back..."

Frost's breathing quickened. Her eyes flickered around the room as if she feared the Thunder God would return and try to kill her again. Fujin squeezed her hand once more to encourage her to continue. He needed to hear what else happened.

Calming down, Frost began where she left off."He was...pissed off that his lapdogs couldn't handle us, so he decided to deal with us himself. He electrocuted Sub-Zero until he lost consciousness and made quick work of the rest of us. When I close my eyes, I can still see that hideous grin on his face as he threatened to finish me off." She looked at the Wind God."If you hadn't come when you did, Fujin, I'd be dead."

"Did he say anything else?" Sonya questioned.

Frost lowered her eyes."He was talking about the tournament and how Sub-Zero and other people might pose a threat to his goal, so they had to be dealt with."

"How do we know you didn't take his offer?" Jacqui asked. Sonya nodded as if sharing her suspicions.

Frost glared at them both."Look at me! I can't even move without whimpering in pain! Half my clan is dead and I watched most of them die! The other half is just as beaten and bloody as I am if not worse! Do you honestly think Raiden would try to kill me if I hadn't rejected his offer?"

"She is telling the truth." Kenshi stated. Jacqui glanced at Takeda, who nodded in agreement with his father.

"See?" Frost flicked her head at the blind swordsman and his son."If the telepaths say I'm being honest, then that means what I'm telling you is true and you know it."

Jacqui and Sonya exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison. Frost huffed at their reluctance to believe her, then winced in pain from her wounds.

"Rest." Fujin told her."You will need it if you are to recover."

Frost nodded and lay back, closing her eyes. The group left the medical tent with Sonya leading them outside.

"So what now?" Jacqui asked."We have to enter that tournament if we're gonna stop Raiden."

Takeda frowned."Maybe we can convince him-"

"No." Kenshi interrupted."It has become obvious by now that he will not listen to reason. Raiden believes he is doing the right thing. Nothing we say or do will convince him otherwise."

"Kenshi's right." Jax said."I tried to talk him down and you saw how well that ended." There was sarcasm in his voice when he uttered the word 'well'.

"The Raiden we knew is dead." Sonya said coldly."There's no bringing him back from this. He kidnapped my daughter because he thought Johnny and I would get in his way and he was right. No one messes with my daughter. The fact that he and that bastard Kano took her hostage only guarantees me kicking his ass." She sneered at Takeda and Kenshi."Don't think Hanzo is getting any mercy from me either. As far as I'm concerned, he's just as guilty as the rest of Raiden's lackeys."

"She is right." Fujin said."The Shirai Ryu willingly serve Raiden and have aided in the atrocities he has committed."

"Master Hasashi must've felt guilty about killing Quan Chi." Takeda said sadly.

"And Raiden is taking advantage of that guilt." Kenshi agreed.

"Didn't you hear me?" Sonya growled."I don't care **why** he chose to help Raiden. He may not have been there when my daughter was kidnapped, but he didn't try to stop it from happening and even broke his truce with the Lin Kuei. There's no way in hell he's getting any sympathy from me."

"But-" Fujin stepped forward before a fight could break out. Internal conflict was the last thing they needed. The Wind God raised his hands and waited for everyone to be quiet before speaking.

"Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves." He said as calmly as possible despite his own distress."We have mere days until the tournament, days we must use to prepare and gather our allies if we are to win. Everyone, go home and rest. We will meet again and discuss our plans tomorrow."

As the mortals went their separate ways, Fujin found himself standing alone outside the medical tent. He was still trying comprehend what happened. All this chaos, death, destruction, betrayal, and bloodshed...it was Raiden's doing. He was responsible for Cassandra Cage's kidnapping, for Frost's injuries, for Sub-Zero's comatose state, for the murder of half the clan. And he enjoyed doing those horrible things as if he were was a child playing a game...

The realization brought a tear to Fujin's eye.

Raiden was gone, replaced by a remorseless monster and cold-blooded killer. The only way to save Earthrealm...was to destroy him.

* * *

 _I know everyone was expecting a big divine showdown between Fujin and Raiden and there will be one, but not yet. Wait until the tournament and that's when all the action will start for real I promise. Until then, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Noob will be mentioned, but I doubt we'll actually see him in the story unless it's through flashbacks or something like that._

 _fandelivres - Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin's points of view will come up soon. Just wait another chapter or two._

 _NeedsANewPenname - Thank you for the constructive criticism. I truly appreciate and will try to lessen my use of intros for dialogue or descriptions. I also agree with you about Sonya. The poor woman has endured a lot over the years. Just wait until her point of view is shown in this story._

 _Guest -_ _Bo'_ _Rai Cho will be in this story. I'm not sure about Triborg. I want to include him but I'm trying to figure how to incorporate him into the story. Stick around and we'll see what happens._

 _Next up: Chapter 11:Kano_


	12. Chapter 11:Kano

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Anarchism is democracy taken seriously."  
— Edward Abbey

 **Chapter 11:Kano**

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 _Back off... and all's well. Piss me off... and Cassie's gonna meet Uncle Kano._

And she did. When Raiden approached the Black Dragon Clan with an offer of full pardons in exchange for their aid, Kano couldn't say yes fast enough. Then when Raiden mentioned his plan to hold Cassie hostage...

Kano smirked as he used his eye laser on her. To his delight, she screamed just like her mother. He laughed and blasted her again. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, apparently using that pain as a distraction from the torture he was inflicting upon her. Most people would burst into tears by now. Cassie Cage was not most people. More fun for him then.

"Enough." Kano fought not to groan when Raiden came to interrupt his 'playtime' with Cassie, Scorpion on his heels. The former spectre took one look at Cassie and rushed to her side, shooting Kano a look so furious he could practically see flames in his eyes. It did nothing but make him roll his eye and smirk. Scorpion scowled at him before turning his attention back to Cassie, who was struggling to remain conscious.

"Is this truly necessary?" Scorpion asked."Harming Cassandra Cage will only further arouse Sonya Blade's anger."

The look Raiden gave him could only be described as bored."Sonya Blade may be blinded by her emotions, but I know Johnny Cage, and for all his idiocy and arrogance, he knows what I will do to his precious daughter if he or his former spouse intervene with my plans. I am certain we will have no problems from either of them."

Cassie trembled with laughter."Y-You've really lost it, haven't you?" She spat blood."Once my mom sees what you let this scum do to me, you're gonna wish you were dead."

Kano blasted her again with his eye laser. She cried out. Scorpion looked torn between shock and fury as he moved to shield Cassie from her tormentor."Back away from her, mercenary dog. You have had your fun for the day."

"Since when do you care about her?" Kano sneered. If this were Kenshi's kid, it would have made sense. But why did Scorpion care about Sonya's brat? This was one of those moments when Kano missed the old Scorpion. The one standing in front of him was boring and honorable, everything he hated about who Raiden used to be. The Raiden he was dealing with now was more fun and saw things his way. He turned to the Thunder God, who waved his hand dismissively.

"Take her back to her cell." He said to Scorpion. The former revenant didn't need to be told twice. Kneeling down, he picked Cassie up in his arms and exited the room, sending Kano a lethal glare as he left.

"Spoilsport." Kano muttered.

"He follows orders and has his uses." Raiden stated."For now, perhaps you may wish to get back to your...pupil."

Kano grinned from ear to ear, knowing whom Raiden was referring to. Thanking Raiden for the reminder, he left the room and made his way to what he liked to call the classroom, or as others preferred to call it, the torture room. Either one was fine.

Moans and groans reached his ears as he opened the door, his grin widening. His student was exactly where he left him: bound with chains hanging from the ceiling and eyes barely open. Kano's grin faltered. He had hoped leaving the kid without food or water for two days would make him stronger, but he was as weak as he'd been two days ago.

The sound of footsteps tapping against the floor caused the boy to look up, giving Kano a good look at his bloody, bruised, and scarred face. His wrists were covered in cuts and bruises from the chains binding them and his shirtless chest had several scars caused by stab and slash wounds from Kano's butterfly knives. The color of his skin was so pale he resembled a ghost. Most people would have been filled with horror and pity at this sight. In Kano's case, he was disappointed and annoyed.

"Hope you enjoyed your weekend, junior!" Kano said cheerfully."Because class is now in session!" The boy blinked at him before returning his gaze to the floor. The disrespectful display pissed Kano off.

"Look at me, you lousy kid!" The boy ignored him. His face was void of emotion, feeling, or any sign of life. He was no longer living, merely existing. Clearly, beating the weakness out of his pupil did not work as well as he hoped it would.

Kevin was the boy's name, at least until it was changed to Kano Jr. by his father. Kano had no idea he even had a son until Raiden told him. The Thunder God explained that the boy was conceived almost twenty years ago through rape and that he spent most of his life in foster care since his mother died when he was ten. He was a troublemaker with a long rap sheet for drug possession, petty theft, and resisting arrest. The kid had potential, so Kano gave him the honor of being his first student. Someone had to carry on his teachings when he was gone, after all.

For all his potiential, however, the kid was weak. He started bawling like a baby the minute Kano began their lessons. Now he was doing something worse than bawling: he was ignoring his own father and mentor. Oh well, Kano decided, in time Kano Jr. would understand his father's teachings. Or he would die trying. Either way, Kano didn't care. If the student was too weak to learn, the teacher was not to blame.

"A slow learner, isn't he?" Tremor remarked as he suddenly stood beside Kano.

The leader of the Black Dragon Clan shook his head."He'll get over it." He smirked."Or he won't and he'll end up dead. First time is always the hardest. It'll get easier as time goes by."

"Hmm." Tremor hummed."We have a messenger."

Kano raised an eyebrow."Who sent him?"

"Rain."

Kano's eye widened. With Mileena dead, he considered his work with her rebel army finished. What Rain and Tanya did was not his concern. Yet the Edenian demigod was sending him a messenger? He must have been really desperate, Kano told himself as he followed Tremor out of the room without sparing his son another glance. The boy flinched when he heard the door slam closed, but remained otherwise unresponsive.

Tasia and Jarek were restraining the messenger while Raiden stood over him, unamused and unimpressed. Scorpion was nowhere to be seen. Kano figured he was busy babysitting Cassie.

Raiden smiled when Kano entered the room. The messenger seemed torn between relief and terror. A wave of the hand was all Kano needed to know that he could handle the situation how he saw fit. As Raiden stepped back, Kano knelt in front of the messenger and gave him an ugly grin.

His butterfly knife pressed against the terrified man's throat, he asked,"Just what kind of message did dear old Prince Rain want you to give me?"

The messenger was shaking like a leaf. Kano wasn't sure if he should be amused or irritated."L-Lord Rain has found himself in a very...difficult situation. Tanya has turned against him and he...asks for your aid. He is willing to pay whatever price or give any reward that is necessary."

Raiden chuckled humorlessly."I do not recall Rain as one who 'asks' for anything, let alone aid."

"Neither do I." Tremor agreed."We could use him as an ally, however."

"No." Raiden shook his head."He has a history of betrayal and cannot be trusted. We would be fools to trust him as Mileena did." His eyes landed on the messenger."Tell me, what does the messenger think of this?"

The messenger's eyes widened at the question. Kano nodded for the man to speak. His voice was quiet and nearly inaudible."I...I cannot speak for Lord Rain...or for you...Lord Raiden, but I believe there is a phrase used in Earthrealm." He paused thoughtfully."Do not shoot the messenger, is it not?"

That was both the wrong and right thing to say, because Raiden inclined his head as if in agreement. Everyone except for the messenger understood his true meaning.

Kano chuckled."Oh don't worry, we're not gonna shoot you..." The messenger sighed in relief."I'm just gonna cut you from ear to ear!"

The messenger could not even blink as Kano's blade made the five-second journey across his throat from his left ear to his right ear, nearly decapitating him. Kano let his body fall to the floor without a care, his lifeless eyes still open and wide in shock and pain. Raiden gestured for Tasia and Jarek to remove the stiff. They dragged his corpse out of the room, Tremor following closely behind.

"Rain will not be pleased when he discovers his messenger's fate." Raiden said."It would be best to deal with him before he poses a threat."

"Wanna take care of him and his army like we did the Lin Kuei?" Kano asked.

Raiden's smirk was so contagious Kano had to return it."And this time, there will be no survivors."

Just what Kano wanted to hear.

* * *

 _I am TERRIBLY sorry for the long wait! Truly, words cannot describe how horrible I am to take this long to update! I was working on this chapter for awhile and I hope it was worth the wait. I will try not to take so long ever again, but I can't promise anything. In the meantime,_ _please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 12:Ashrah_


	13. Chapter 12:Ashrah

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"What was a demon but a lost soul, one that had been forced to use his skills to survive."  
— Alice Hoffman (The Story Sisters)

 **Chapter 12:Ashrah**

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Redemption.

This was something Ashrah longed for more than anything. At first, she had no problems doing Quan Chi's bidding and served alongside her sister in the Brotherhood of Shadows for years. They occasionally worked with Quan Chi's three elite lieutenants. There had even been a time when Ashrah envied Sareena's position as Quan Chi's "favorite".

It was not until Sareena took a stand against the sorcerer that Ashrah felt herself begin to drift away from her master. Her sister was indifferent, dismissing Sareena's actions as selfish and ungrateful, but Ashrah did not agree. In the few times when she and Sareena spoke, she noticed her discontent and misery. Sareena hated the Netherrealm, hated having to do Quan Chi's dirty work and be his concubine, hated the fact that she depended on his magic to hide her true form from the world. Her decision to aid Bi-Han had not been one of selfishness, but desperation.

Years went by, and Ashrah continued to serve under Quan Chi, her loyalty toward him wavering everyday. She found herself wanting to escape as well. She was tired of being Quan Chi's slave. She wanted to be free, to fight for the forces of light, not darkness. A pity her sister did not feel the same way.

When the day came that Ashrah finally refused to obey an order from Quan Chi, her sister did the opposite. She fled, and being the sick bastard that he was, Quan Chi sent her sister to kill her. While escaping her would-be assassin, she found the Kriss. The dagger was like no other weapon she'd ever seen and just holding it made her feel different, almost...pure. As she was examining the weapon, her sister caught up with her.

No amount of pleas were enough to convince her sister to follow her example or let her go for the sake of their shared blood. For as long as possible, Ashrah dodged and blocked her sister's attacks, pleading for her to stop, to no avail. She acknowledged that there was nothing she could to avoid this fight and put everything she had into defeating her opponent. The Kriss seemed to urge her on and before she knew it, the dagger was plunged deep into her sister's chest.

Grief filled Ashrah as she realized what she'd done, yet she felt something else as well. It was as if killing her sister, a creature of pure evil, was lessening her own evil spirit. With each demon or evil creature she slew, Ashrah could feel herself changing. The Kriss was helping her achieve redemption and ultimately, freedom from the Netherrealm.

So Ashrah annihilated as many evil creatures as she could, feeling the wickedness within her soul weaken with each kill. She felt a strange kind of enthusiasm as well. It grew every time another creature fell to her blade. She was so close to freedom...when the revenants caught and arrested her following the death of Quan Chi and Shinnok's defeat. She expected to be executed or banished to the fifth plane of the Netherrealm like Sareena before her, but Liu Kang ordered her to be imprisoned until he and Kitana could find a way for her to prove her usefulness.

"I am pleased to see I was not the only one to turn against Quan Chi." Sareena said after hearing Ashrah's story.

The two demonesses spent two days in their cell conversing and pondering what the revenants planned to do with them. With the exception of occasional screams or pleas of mercy from the other demons in the dungeon as they were taken to be executed, nothing happened. Ashrah allowed Sareena to hold the Kriss and the other demonesses admitted that she did feel an strange type of pureness when touching it. Both were equally surprised when Kabal and Stryker returned to the dungeon and announced that Liu Kang and Kitana had requested their presence in the throne room.

Thankfully, they were not put in chains and instead led at gunpoint through the hallways of the palace, though Kabal refused to let Ashrah carry her Kriss on the way there. Liu Kang and Kitana sat in their thrones with Kung Lao and Sindel sitting beside them. Kneeling at the bottom of the dais was Rain, and being dragged out of the throne room in chains was Tanya. Two Edenians and a Tarkatan stood behind Rain with their heads bowed. Kotal Kahn, Ermac, Erron Black, and Reptile stood to the side. The emperor of Outworld and demigod son of Argus were exchanging cold glances, and if not for the authoritative air radiating off of Kitana, would have started fighting to the death in front of everyone.

Rain cleared his throat."I believe everyone is here now, Princess."

"Empress." Kitana corrected irritably."Sareena." She beckoned the demoness over with her finger. Sareena hesitated, but a light shove from Stryker encouraged her to obey and she ascended the stairs to the dais where the rulers of the Netherrealm sat in their twin thrones. She knelt before Kitana, avoiding eye contact.

"Get up." Kitana ordered and gestured for Sareena to sit beside Sindel. Sareena obeyed. Stryker gave Ashrah a kick and she fell to one knee with a grunt. She resisted the urge to glare at the former cop and remained in kneeling position, knowing it would be best not to show defiance at the moment.

"I have heard the pleas for help and explanations of the situation from all of you and after some consideration, we have come to a decision." Kitana said."It is clear by now that Raiden has gone insane following his purification of the Jinsei which resulted in his own corruption. He came here and stood before myself and Liu Kang and threw Shinnok's still living head at our feet. He and the Shirai Ryu have invaded Outworld and will surely target the Netherrealm next. The only way to stop him is through victory in Mortal Kombat." She sighed."And loath as I am to admit it, we must work together in order to achieve that victory."

Enenra spoke up."But even with our combined forces, we will not be able to defeat Raiden. The Shirai Ryu and Black Dragon fight alongside him and are deadly foes to have."

"Which is why we must have seek help from...Earthrealm." Sindel cringed as she finished her sentence.

"It is unlikely Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, Jackson Briggs, or Fujin would support Raiden's actions." Kung Lao stated."Hence his reasons for allying with Hanzo Hasashi and Kano."

"Now that Raiden poses a threat to Earthrealm, the Elder Gods are likely to choose Fujin as his replacement." Liu Kang stated."Nothing would be official, however, until Raiden is dealt with."

"May I make a suggestion?" Sareena asked carefully, receiving a nod from Kitana."As you know, I am a strong ally of Earthrealm, particularly the Special Forces and Lin Kuei. My capture was a painful blow to them, but should I be safely returned and allowed to deliver a message from you, this will be seen as a temporary peace offering and make it easier for them to agree to form an alliance with the Netherrealm."

"It does have merit." Sindel admitted.

Enenra shook his head."I do not trust this demoness not to betray us as she did Quan Chi in the past. She cannot be allowed to go alone."

"I will accompany her." Nightwolf stepped forward."As a representative of the Netherrealm, of course."

"Having one of our own will emphasize how serious we are in our request for an alliance." Kung Lao said.

"It is settled then." Liu Kang declared."Nightwolf and Sareena will go to Earthrealm and offer an alliance. Ashrah!" The white-clad demoness's head snapped up at her name being spoken."Rise." She obeyed, clasping her hands behind her back and keeping her eyes on her emperor and empress.

Liu Kang and Kitana exchanged a glance before the former spoke."It seems you finally have the chance to prove your usefulness. Starting tomorrow, you will begin vigorous training for the tournament. Do not fail us, or you will join your sister in death."

Ashrah bowed."Yes, Emperor."

Liu Kang gave Kabal a nod and the masked man stepped forward to return Ashrah's Kriss, which she eagerly accepted. She drew comfort from the familiar feeling of the blade in her hands, ignoring Stryker's scoff. He had made it clear he thought her foolish to believe the weapon could grant her the redemption she so desperately wanted, but she was used to being mocked for her beliefs and did not care what anyone thought of her. If Raiden was as corrupted as they said he was, then perhaps aiding in the fight against him would help purify her soul. The Elder Gods might even reward her for playing a part in Raiden's defeat.

Ashrah smiled at the thought. Redemption would be hers, no matter what the cost.

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 _So this chapter felt really short and rushed, which I admit it kinda is, but it is nevertheless important to the story and I promise the next one will be longer. I also appreciate the suggestions I have received about how to incorporate Triborg into the story but if he does appear, it won't be for a little while, so be patient. As for Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin, they'll each get their one chapters after the tournament has started. I would also like to say that like Noob Saibot, Mileena and Shinnok will be mentioned and may possibly appear in flashbacks or something like that, but won't have any huge role in the story. Sorry if anyone is disappointed by this. I love those characters, but they unfortunately have no place in this story. In the meantime, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 13:Sheeva_


	14. Chapter 13:Sheeva

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"War-war was coming. And they might not all survive it."  
— Sarah J. Maas (Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4))

 **Chapter 13:Sheeva**

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Midnight.

They now had four days until the tournament. Sheeva stood on the balcony, gazing down at the city below. Raiden's attack had left almost everyone dead or wounded. Earlier today, the doctors announced that Torr was in a coma. Chances of him awakening were slim. Ferra was inconsolable. It was under the doctors' requests that Sheeva tried to escort the girl out of Torr's room again, but Ferra was more resistant this time. She struggled and screamed like a banshee. It had taken the combined efforts of Sheeva and two guards to restrain Ferra as a sedative was administrated that put her to sleep within seconds.

Kotal Kahn had yet to return from the Netherrealm. To say that Sheeva was worried would be an understatement. The revenants were no longer the people they used to be. They used to have honor, whereas now they were twisted, monstrous, murderous husks of their former selves. It was truly a fate worse than death, one the Shokan queen wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. And most of them had been her enemies. If they did agree to ally with the emperor, honor would be the last thing on their mind. Vengeance would be the first, along with hatred.

Sheeva sighed. Years had passed, yet memories of what Havik had done to her battalion and Kintaro's death plagued her dreams. Kintaro died a warrior's death and she held no ill will toward Sonya Blade, who had not been in control of her actions at the time. She should have accepted those losses by now, but her grief remained, twisting around her heart and squeezing it with so much pressure that she almost cried out in agony.

A queen should not feel or act this way, but Sheeva reminded herself that she was also a woman and a living being with emotions. Feelings were both a blessing and a curse. The sorrow in her heart prevented Sheeva from forgetting who she was other than a queen. No one else was here to see her weep, to see this mighty queen of the Shokan grieve like normal people did, so Sheeva allowed the tears to fall. She clutched the banister so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Queen Sheeva?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Sheeva twisted around to face the speaker, still gripping the banister. A Shokan soldier stood in the doorway, clearly troubled.

Sheeva wiped her eyes."Speak." She said as calmly as possible.

"Kotal Kahn, Erron Black, Ermac, and Reptile have returned from the Netherrealm. They are waiting for you in the throne room." The words brought a mix of relief, joy, and dread. Too caught up in her own emotions to reply, she ran past the soldier without a word and hurried to the throne room. Sure enough, the emperor sat in his throne, his face the very picture of exhaustion. His three companions looked no better.

The sound of her footsteps alerted the four men to her presence. Kotal Kahn's expression was torn between grim and hopeful as he nodded in greeting."The revenants have agreed to aid us. They have sent a former prisoner and one of their own to offer Earthrealm an alliance with us as well."

"That is good news, emperor." Sheeva smiled, though the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared."But I fear things have not been as...pleasant in your absence."

"I would not describe my negotiations with the revenants as pleasant, especially given Rain's presence. But as much as he and I detest one another, we have agreed to put our differences aside for the time being." Kotal sighed."Tell me, how is Ferra/Torr?"

Sheeva shook her head."Several hours ago, Torr slipped into a coma. The doctors believe that his chances of survival are slim at best. Ferra is...understandably upset by this."

"So he's dyin'?!" Erron Black exclaimed.

"No one can say that for sure yet, but it seems that way, yes."

"Where is Ferra?" Kotal asked.

"Asleep in her quarters. After the doctors informed her of Torr's condition, she became so...overwhelmed by the news that I was asked to escort her out of the room. She was resistant, to put it mildly. It was only with the combined force of myself and two guards that we were able to restrain her long enough for a sedative to be administrated. She has been unconscious ever since."

Kotal closed his eyes and sighed."That...does not bode well for us. I will speak with Ferra once she awakens. Even if she cannot fight without Torr, her loyalty is a welcome asset...and comfort. Have you chosen any kombatants of your own to participate in the tournament?"

Sheeva nodded."I have already declared my own intention to fight and have selected five of my best warriors to participate as well. None of them are as skilled as myself, Kintaro, or Goro, but they are strong, loyal, and have never given me reason to doubt them. I trust them with my life."

"Tell me more about them."

"Duroc, Zenkaro, Grum, Leshan, and Nara are their names. Duroc is the bastard son of King Gorbak. No one knew of the king's infidelity until recently. Although he could have betrayed him and attempted to steal the throne whenever he wished, he has chosen to serve me rather than rebel. He is an honorable warrior. Zenkaro is...less so. I admit he can be somewhat sexist at times, but he is a strong and obedient warrior when he needs to be. Grum is a unique kind of Shokan in that he has six arms instead of four. Leshan and Nara are the only female Shokan Warriors aside from myself. They are twin sisters and perhaps the strongest warriors in my army. All five are deadly kombatants."

"If what you say is true, then they will be able to prove their ferocity in battle at the tournament." Kotal said."We will begin preparing for the tournament tomorrow morning. Until then, we should rest...while we are still able to."

That was the only cue Erron Black, Reptile, and Ermac needed to bow and leave the room. Sheeva hesitated for a moment before doing the same, knowing she would not get any sleep tonight. She doubted the emperor would either.

But she did not voice these thoughts and after bowing, exited the room.

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 _Once again, I am terribly sorry for the long wait and apologize if Sheeva seemed OOC in any way at all. As for the the five kombatants Sheeva told Kotal about, some of you may recognize the first three names and some may not. Duroc appeared in Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins as Goro's older brother, Zenkaro appeared as a villain in one episode of Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, and Grum is a character from the comic books. Nara and Leshan are completely OCs however. Duroc, Zenkaro, and Grum will also be pretty much OCs in everything but their names. Anyway, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 14:Kevin_


	15. Chapter 14:Kevin

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I blinked once, "if it's anywhere near as bad as what those assholes did to me... I'm tired of living through this shit just to step into deeper fucking shit. So if all you have planned for me is more torture, I think I'd rather die. Just do me one favor and don't... I don't want to die slow."  
— C.J. Roberts (Captive in the Dark (The Dark Duet, #1))

 **Chapter 14:Kevin**

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Death.

This was what Kevin wanted. For two days, his psychotic father left him chained in a dark room without food or water. On the third day, he came back and was quite disappointed with his student's lack of progress. Kevin couldn't care less. This man was not his father, just someone who raped his mother and whom he shared blood with. He had kidnapped, tortured, starved, and spat upon his own son. He was a stranger, a monster, and a stain on humanity. He had no soul.

Kevin stared at the rotten bread and dirty water before him. This was the meal Kano was kind enough to grant him. As tight as his chains were, they were loose enough for him to grasp the cup and plate. Food and water, rotten or not, meant living and he did not want to live. Ever since his mother died, he lost the will to live. The drugs were his attempts to die and when they didn't work, he hoped petty theft and resisting arrest would result in suicide by cop, but those didn't work either.

His mother had been everything to him. She could have gotten an abortion or given him up for adoption, but she chose to keep the son conceived via rape and raise him herself, and her death destroyed him, so much so that a part of him died alongside her. The hell his father put him through only worsened his already fragile mental state. He wanted to die, to escape the hell that was his life, to see his mother again, to be free of the never ending torture...

The fourth day of his imprisonment had begun. Even with a lack of windows or a clock, Kevin knew that much for sure. He was good at math, and counting every minute spent in this cold, dark room was the only pastime that kept him from going insane. His stomach growled. Although his heart longed for death, his stomach longed for food and water. To consume the bread and water in front of him meant he had as much a chance of living as falling ill from food poisoning.

Be it through food poisoning or starvation, Kevin just wanted to die. Both offered a slow death, and he didn't want to suffer while he died, but there were fates far worse than death. He'd been living a fate worse than death for the last few days, so what difference did it make if the end result of either choice resulted in the sweet, blissful death he so desperately yearned for?

The door opened, snapping Kevin from his thoughts. He had grown used to the sound of Kano's footsteps by now. So it surprised him when he looked up to see his visitor was not his father, but Scorpion and Raiden. They were not alone. Scorpion was carrying a girl Kevin had never seen before in his arms. She was young, maybe his age if not a little older, with blonde hair and blue eyes. At least one eye was blue. Her other eye was swollen shut and her nose looked broken. What remained of a blue catsuit was torn and clung to her body in a way that made Kevin uncomfortable. Since she was practically naked, he could clearly see all the cuts, bruises, and burns all over her face, arms, shoulders, and legs. She looked as fucked up as he did, if not worse.

Was this a new student of his father's? Kevin doubted that. In the short time he'd known his father, he knew Kano would not allow anyone but himself or another Black Dragon to bring in a new student. No, this girl was not his father's latest pupil. Who was she then? Scorpion and Raiden answered that question for him without realizing it.

"I do not see why Cassandra Cage must be brought here." Scorpion said as he gently laid the girl down on the floor beside Kevin. He noticed her wrists were tied behind her back and her ankles were bound together in such tight knots that they left bruises on her skin.

"She has become far too resistant to be kept in her previous cell. Kano's "classroom" is more secure and allows Kano to torture her however he wishes without disturbing the rest of us." Raiden said in a tone that could only be described as bored. He flashed both Kevin and Cassandra an ugly grin."And it also provides our hostage and Kano's pupil with a new...acquaintance to prevent both of them from feeling lonely." He then turned and left the room with a reluctant Scorpion following closely behind.

The door slammed shut, causing both Kevin and Cassandra to wince. Ten seconds after their captors' departure, Cassandra started grunting and struggling. She managed to sit up and lean against the wall while attempting to slip free from her bonds. Exhaustion and pain quickly got the better of her, however, and she gave up with a sigh. She let her head fall back against the wall and fell into a long silence before turning her attention to Kevin.

"Pupil, huh?" She asked."What's he teaching you? How to become a psychotic dumbass like him?"

Kevin smiled in spite of himself. Either this girl knew his father very well or had ventured a lucky guess. Based on her tone, he assumed it was both.

Cassandra suddenly started violently coughing up blood, and she leaned forward while gasping for air. Kevin tried to touch her, but the chains prevented him from reaching her. She continued to cough for several seconds before stopping and leaning back against the wall, pale as a sheet. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned back to him.

"I-I'm Cassie by the way. It's shorter and cooler than Cassandra in my opinion." Her attempts to sound calm while panting and groaning in pain were futile, but he had to give her credit for trying."You wanna tell me your name now? 'Cause I'm pretty sure it isn't Kano Jr."

Kevin shook his head. He wanted to trust this girl, but if there was one thing living in shitty foster homes and on the streets had taught him, it was not to trust anyone. When he heard the name "Cage" he wondered if she was related to Johnny Cage, whose movies his mother had enjoyed for unknown reasons. Kevin despised every single film starring Johnny Cage and only watched them so he could spend time with his mother. He always was mama's little boy...

"I'll take that as a no." Cassie quipped. Kevin did not respond. Cassie sighed and started coughing again, this time less violently."Can...Can I at least try to...to guess your name then?"

Kevin nodded, and Cassie gave a weak grin that showed off her bloody teeth."Okay then, does it start with a K?" Kevin nodded."Is it Kurt?" Kevin shook his head."Kyle?" He shook his head a second time."Karl?" He shook his head a third time."Kenneth?" He shook his head a fourth time."Kelvin?" He shook his head a little slower to let her know that she was close."How many letters am I off by? One?" He nodded. She raised her eyebrows."It is Kevin?" He nodded with a smile."Well, pleased to meet ya, Kevin. Although, there are...better circumstances for meeting new people. How long have you been in this shithole anyway?"

Kevin blinked four times."Four days?" He nodded. Cassie seemed torn between amusement and confusion."Okay are you mute or just choosing not to talk to me?" He blinked twice."Okay then..." She shook her head."Given the situation, though, I guess I can't blame you for not trusting me enough to talk. Are you really that scumbag's son?" He nodded."What happened to your mom?" He looked away, and she immediately understood."Oh, sorry. Should've figured that one out myself." He tilted his head to convey his forgiveness.

Silence fell for what felt like an eternity until Cassie broke it."We need to get out of here." Kevin shook his head."What do you mean no? Do you wanna to die down here?" The blank look he gave her was answer enough. She gaped at him and shook her head in incredulity."So you're just gonna let Kano win? Look, I know I've just met you, but Kano has an...unpleasant history with my mom, so I know him well enough to tell you that he doesn't give a damn if you live or die, so long as you give up because that means he's the winner and you're the loser.

Kevin hadn't considered that. He'd been so busy wallowing in self-pity and his desire to die that he never stopped to wonder how his father might react to his death, or if he would react at all. The look of hesitation on his face was all the encouragement Cassie needed."You wanna die? Fine, but I'm not letting that scumbag or crazy deity get the better of me. My parents are probably trying to find a way to rescue me as we speak and while my mom may hesitate to help you given who your dad is, I know I can convince her to give you a chance. So if you're so pissed at your psycho dad for doing this to you, then maybe you should focus on getting revenge."

Done with her speech, Cassie turned away from him. Kevin thought about what she said, and found himself agreeing with her. For years, death was his goal. Now he had a new one: revenge.

He would follow Cassie's advice, and get sweet revenge.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 15:Nightwolf_


	16. Chapter 15:Nightwolf

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself."  
— Terence McKenna (The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens & the I Ching)

 **Chapter 15:Nightwolf**

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 _If anyone here should be considered a hero, it is you._

Try as he might, Nightwolf could not get Sareena's words out of his head. He had not considered himself a hero even when he fought for the forces of light. Defeating Quan Chi and Noob Saibot as well as attempting to prevent Scorpion from killing the original Sub-Zero and sacrificing himself to stop Sindel felt natural because as a warrior dedicated to the cause of good, it was his duty.

Everything changed when Quani Chi made him into one of his slaves. Raiden, or Haokah as Nightwolf had taken to calling him, came to the Netherrealm and offered his own soul as well as those of the fallen warriors in exchange for Quan Chi's aid against Shao Kahn. Any faith Nightwolf had in the Thunder God vanished to be replaced by shock, pain, and anger. What right did Raiden have to offer their souls? Nightwolf had died to protect Earthrealm, but in that moment, he wanted to destroy it, wanted to make Raiden suffer for his foolishness, wanted to make every living being feel his pain...

Yet Sareena claimed he was a hero, and her eyes confirmed that she believed her own words. Even in his corrupted state, Nightwolf wanted to believe the demoness. She too, had served Quan Chi, but there was a difference between Sareena and the revenants: she willingly chose to serve the sorcerer while Nightwolf and the others were forced into his service. They tried to resist, but over time, each of them gave up and accepted their fate. Jade was the only one who continued to fight...

Nightwolf closed his eyes. He refused to let himself think of Jade. What Quan Chi did to her was horrible, but it was Kitana whom the sorcerer sought to punish. Needless to say, he succeeded and thoughts of rebelling never crossed their minds again. After the death of Quan Chi at Scorpion's hands and Shinnok's defeat, any hope of being restored to life and freedom from the Netherrealm was lost.

"They are telling the truth." Kenshi's voice snapped Nightwolf out of his thoughts. At Sonya Blade's request, the blind swordsman read Sareena and Nightwolf's minds to test the truth of their explanations for arriving in Special Forces HQ. Nightwolf knew that Kenshi had read his thoughts about heroism and being a revenant, and was grateful to the telepath for not mentioning those thoughts aloud.

Sonya nodded in satisfaction."Alright. I believe you now, Nightwolf.

"Now that our reasons for being here have been established," Sareena said,", I would like to know why Sub-Zero and Cassie are not here."

At the mention of her daughter, Sonya's fists clenched. Sareena looked at Jacqui, who shook her head ever so slowly."R-Raiden kidnapped Cass and attacked the Lin Kuei."

"Half of the clan is dead and the other half wounded." Kenshi said."The grandmaster is alive, but comatose."

Sareena covered her mouth with her hand."By the Elder Gods..." She lowered her hand and swallowed down a sob."May...May I see him...and the other survivors?"

"We're in the process of transporting them to HQ now. As soon as they get here, yeah, I'll...arrange for you to visit." Sonya whispered.

"Do you have any idea of your daughter's whereabouts, Sonya Blade?" Nightwolf asked.

She shook her head."No." Her expression hardened."But we will find out. And if I have to rip that damn Thunder God along with Kano and Scorpion in half to get my daughter back, then I will."

"I do not doubt that for a moment." The words were spoken in a whisper only Sareena and Sonya could hear. Nightwolf surprised himself by speaking in such a soft tone.

Fujin stepped forward."Now that we have established this...alliance, we must plan our next move. The tournament begins in four days and those of us who can still stand must participate. Nightwolf, do you plan on having any other warriors besides yourself and your fellow revenants participate in the tournament?"

"There is a demoness named Ashrah who will participate. I also recall Kabal mentioning an old friend he believed could help us, but I do not know who he is."

"It is better than nothing. We will need all the help we can get. I have a meeting with the Elder Gods in a few hours. They spoke of some...possible allies for us. Kung Jin, have you spoken to Master Bo' Rai Cho?"

"Yeah." The archer nodded."He's still a little banged up from Shinnok's torture, but he'll be okay. He and Li Mei are both on our side. They went to Outworld to help Kotal Kahn and his lackeys prepare for the tournament."

"Anyone else?"

"I might have a suggestion." Sonya said."After Sub-Zero dealt with the cyber-Lin Kuei, we found their hidden data and brought it here. We've downloaded most of the files into a test body containing the consciousnesses of Sektor, Smoke, Cyrax, and Sub-Zero in their cyber forms. We call it Triborg."

"If there are four consciousnesses within it, why is it called Triborg?" Nightwolf asked.

"The Cyber Sub-Zero consciousnesses is a more recent addition. We haven't tried to activate it yet so we don't know how it'll do in combat. But given our situation, I think it's worth a try."

"Is it dangerous?" Fujin inquired.

"Obviously, but we don't have much of a choice. Let's just activate and test it out at least to see how it work."

"Very well." The deity said."After I return from my meeting with the Elder Gods, we will take a look at this Triborg of yours."

"I will return to the Netherrealm and convey the news then." Nightwolf said.

"One moment before you go, Nightwolf." Fujin said. He gestured for the others to exit the room and waited until Sonya Blade, the last to leave, closed the door behind her before speaking."I have a question for you, shaman."

"Ask it then."

"Why are you here?"

"To establish an alliance between-"

"That is not what I meant."

"Please elaborate then."

"Why did you volunteer to escort Sareena back to Earthrrealm?"

"Enenra did not trust her to represent the Netherrealm alone. Therefore, I volunteered."

"Do you care for Earthrealm's fate?"

"In the past, it was my duty to protect Earthrealm all costs."

"And now?"

"Now...I care more for making Raiden pay for leading myself and my fellow revenants to our deaths and ensuring that the Netherrealm does not become his next target."

"You once called him Haokah and were willing to die for him."

"Perhaps you have not noticed, Lord Fujin, but I **did** die for him. Or rather, because of him."

"Your fate, along with the other revenants, haunted him for years."

"You use the term 'haunted' in the past tense." Nightwolf pointed out."Why is that?"

"Because the Raiden I knew and the Raiden committing all these atrocities are two different people." Fujin said sadly."There is no hope for him. He must be destroyed."

"Do you believe there is hope for myself and my fellow revenants?"

Fujin studied him for several minutes. When he finally replied, his voice was low and words slow and carefully chosen."Sonya Blade, Kung Jin, and Jackson Briggs in particular seem to believe so. But no one can speak for you, Nightwolf. That is a question you must find an answer to yourself. The same goes for the others."

"The demoness Sareena called me a hero."

"I do not disagree with her. You did, after all, defeat both Quan Chi and Noob Saibot and sacrifice yourself to stop Sindel when she was under Shao Kahn and Quan Chi's influence."

"It was my duty at the time."

"And what is your duty now?"

Nightwolf found himself unable to respond to that question. He narrowed his eyes in thought and when a response did not come to mind, he shrugged his shoulders in dejection.

Fujin smiled wanly."As I said, only you can answer such a question."

As the Wind God left, Nightwolf thought long and hard about the question that was posed to him. What was his duty now? The shaman was determined to find out.

* * *

 _Okay so there are some things I need to let everyone know. I edited some things in the story and by that I mean that instead of the revenants being imprisoned in the Netherrealm for almost thirty years, it's a little over 20-22 years because there are some characters I want to include in this story and I don't want to make them too old. So if anyone wants to look up and seen the changes I made in years, then go ahead. Now that doesn't mean that this story is AU at least not completely. It just means that some of the characters are a little bit younger._

 _Guest - It's okay I understood you perfectly. It has actually been said several times in the series that only people with evil in their souls can enter the Netherrealm and well, by that logic, everyone should be able to enter. So you weren't entirely wrong when you said someone with hate or something like that can enter the Netherrealm. And don't apologize, I am very happy that you enjoy the story and appreciate your review._

 _Next up: Chapter 16:Ruby_


	17. Chapter 16:Ruby

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Better to have one woman on your side than ten men."  
— Robert Jordan (The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time, #2))

 **Chapter 16:Ruby**

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'Where in Argus's name is Rain?!'

This was the question that echoed in Ruby's mind as the Thunder God held her throat in an iron tight grip and summoned lightning to electrocute her. Then, he tossed her into the air and electrocuted her again. She hit the ground like a rock and was in the process of sitting up when Kano curled into a ball and crashed right into her. The force of the blow sent her flying back and onto the ground.

Three Tarkatans charged at Raiden. One was electrocuted by the deity, the other was blasted by Kano's laser, and the third was decapitated by Tasia. An Edenian attempted to sneak up behind Raiden with a knife, only for his intended target to turn at the last minute, catch his wrist, twist it, and fling him at Kano, who quickly drew his knife and plunged it into the Edenian's stomach.

Ruby tried to sit up, but fell back from pain and exhaustion. She was lucky not to have any broken bones, and unlucky to have several cuts, bruises, and burns from Raiden's lightning and Kano's butterfly knives.

"Pathetic." Raiden scoffed."Truly pathetic. The Lin Kuei put up a much better fight." The Thunder God sauntered over to the fallen Edenian and planted a foot on her throat."Tell me where Rain is, and I will grant you a quick death."

Ruby gave a choked laugh."E-Even if I did know, I'd never tell you. F-Filthy bastard. You w-won't get a-anything from me..."

Raiden smiled."Very well then. I will let you live and have Kano restrain you so that you may watch helplessly as I kill every Edenian man, woman, and child in this camp and once they are all dead, I will have Kano slash your throat and leave you here to die among the corpses."

Ruby gasped for air. She could feel herself slowly losing consciousness...

"Look out!" Jarek's shout came out of nowhere. Raiden lifted his gaze from Ruby...

...and barely ducked in time to avoid a steel fan aimed for his neck. Taking advantage of his distracted state, Ruby raised her leg and struck him in the back. He lost his balance, allowing her to shove his foot off her throat and sweep him off his feet. As she crawled away, a hand touched her shoulder and she turned to meet the eyes of someone she thought she'd never see again.

"K-Kitana?" She gasped between coughs.

"Hello, Ruby." The princess's eyes were cold, but her voice was almost...warm."Can you walk on your own?" Ruby shook her head."Then I will help you." Putting away her fans, Kitana wrapped one arm around Ruby's waist and urged the red-clad woman to wrap her own arm around her shoulders so she could support her weight. With help from Kitana, Ruby was able to stand up, though her body ached with each movement.

Raiden had just recovered from the shock of Kitana's sudden appearance when Liu Kang, Sindel, and Rain arrived. Behind them were Kabal, Stryker, Kung Lao, and Enenra. The sight of their long lost princess and queen had all the Edenians in a state of shock, though they snapped back into reality when Sindel flew up and began barking out orders for them to retreat. Liu Kang gestured for his fellow revenants to leave as well. All but Kitana followed the order without hesitation.

"Liu Kang-" She started to protest at the idea of leaving him alone with Raiden and his lackeys.

"I will be fine, Kitana." He assured in such a soft voice that he would have fooled anyone into believing he was human if not for his dark, corrupted appearance."Help your people get to Kotal Kahn's palace. They need you more than I."

They stared at each other for a long time, during which Raiden took several steps back and began shaking his head as if he were troubled. Without a word, he raised his hand and teleported himself and his lackeys away. To say that this was a surprise would be an understatement.

"What the..." Kabal trailed off.

"He left?" Stryker was equally confused.

"He looked...troubled." Kitana noted."Is it possible-"

"We will discuss this later." Liu Kang said with a dismissive wave of his hand, though he made no attempt to hide his own perplexity."Come. Kotal Kahn is waiting for us in his palace."

Ruby did not fail to notice Rain gazing at Kitana, nor did she fail to notice Liu Kang glowering at the demigod for doing so. Kitana either didn't notice the silent exchange between the two men or pretended not to. She tightened her grip on Ruby and muttered that they should make haste in getting to the emperor's palace so their wounded and dead could be taken care of.

The body count was low. It was the amount of wounded that was concerning. Ruby was among those fortunate to suffer only from minor injuries. The majority, however, suffered from far worse. Some would never walk, let alone fight, again, while others lay dying as doctors could do nothing but make them comfortable in their final moments.

One of the wounded was not an Edenian or Tarkatan, but a follower of Kotal Kahn, Torr, who had slipped into a coma. His partner, Ferra sat at his bedside, staring at him with tearful eyes. Sheeva and Kotal were speaking in whispers behind her when Liu Kang and Kitana joined their conversation. As she was being treated, Ruby managed to catch a few snippets of the discussion which consisted mostly of Raiden and the tournament.

Kitana raised a hand to interrupt Sheeva as she opened her mouth to reply to something Liu Kang had said. She pointed at Ferra and gave Kotal a curious look. He answered her silent question and for the longest time, she watched the girl with a mix of curiosity and...pity, perhaps? Then she approached Ferra, laid a hand on her shoulder, and touched Torr's forehead like a mother would feel her child's forehead to check for a temperature. The gesture was so...gentle that it reminded Ruby of the old Kitana, a kind, wise princess and passionate, deadly warrior.

"Pretty Girl think Torr be okay?" Ferra asked.

Kitana met Ruby's eyes briefly before glancing at Ferra. There was a softness in her gaze that would have comforted the child had the silence not been so ominous. A single tear rolled down Ferra's cheek. Kitana removed her hand from the girl's shoulder and wiped the tear away. If she hadn't been wearing a mask, Ruby wondered if she would see a smile on the princess's face.

"Pretty Girl?" Ferra looked up at Kitana for the briefest of moments, arms outstretched. Kitana understood what Ferra wanted and without a word, picked her up. She made no protest as Ferra wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her head in her shoulder to muffle her sobs. Kitana simply stroked the back of Ferra's head, never saying a word.

Ruby watched, and wondered if there was truly hope for her old friend. She did not see a cold-hearted murderer when she looked at Kitana now. Instead, she saw the girl she'd befriended all those years ago...and hoped she would return.

* * *

 _So this chapter was pretty short but nevertheless important. I wanted to show how Raiden and the other revenants seemed in the point of view of someone else. For those of you who don't know, Ruby is a character from the cartoon Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. She's basically an OC in everything but name so don't expect her to be anything like in the cartoon. Anyway, apologies if the chapter was too short or seemed wasteful, but believe me that it is important to the story. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 17:Sonya Blade_


	18. Chapter 17:Sonya Blade

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Real mothers admit it is easier to fail at this job than to succeed." — Jodi Picoult (House Rules)

 **Chapter 17:Sonya Blade**

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A failure.

That was what Sonya Blade was. A failure as a friend to Jax, a failure as a leader to her subordinates, a failure as a wife to Johnny, and a failure as a mother to Cassie. How many times had she failed to be there for Jax? How many times had she failed to make the right decisions when in charge? How many times had she failed Johnny both before and after their divorce? How many times had she failed to support, love, and nurture Cassie like a true mother would? How many birthdays had she missed? How many tears did she fail to wipe away?

Sonya lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Jax had practically begged her to at least try to get some rest. Well, she did try. Tried and failed. She'd dreamt of Kano's smiling face, followed by Cassie's beaten and bloody form. She could hear her daughter's screams of agony as the sick bastard tortured her. The nightmare felt so real that it made her nauseous when she awoke. She ran to the toilet, vomited, and cried for half-an-hour before crawling back to bed.

As if on cue, the nausea returned and guided her back to the toilet. She clung to the toilet like a lifeline, afraid the nausea would surface a third time if she dared leave the bathroom again. A string of curses filled her mind, but did not escape her lips due the bile blocking its way. Sonya let out a moan of pain and frustration. She hated being so weak. Her only consolation was that no one else was here to see her like this.

That was when she felt a hand begin to rub her back in slow, gentle circles. She groaned."Go away, Johnny." She'd been so busy puking her guts and crying her eyes out that she didn't hear him come in.

Johnny ignored her, continuing to rub her back. She opened her mouth to tell him to leave her alone, only for the bile to rise once more. Johnny stopped rubbing her back, but did not remove his hand. He watched her vomit and did not leave her side. When she finished, he pulled her to him and held her close. She made no attempt to fight him. It wasn't until he began to stroke her head gently that she allowed herself to cry in his arms.

"Damn it!" She sobbed."Damn it! I-It's my fault they took Cassie...I should've-"

"Sonya, it wasn't your fault." Johnny said."It's Raiden and Kano's fault, not yours, mine, or anyone else's..."

"I failed her, damn it!" She screamed."I was never there when...when she needed me and now...now..."

"That's bullshit, Sonya." Johnny stated in a tone she'd never heard him use before."I'll be the first to admit that yeah, you have screwed a lot, but **so have I**. Neither of us were ready for parenthood. We just...reacted to it in different ways. And for all the times you disappointed Cassie, you were **always** there when it mattered. Remember when she and Jacqui were kidnapped? The minute you found out those girls were in danger, you did everything you could to find them and bring them home. You're not perfect, baby. No one is. There's no such thing as the perfect parent."

"Quit calling me 'baby'!" She growled, striking his chest with her fist. He grunted in pain."Why are you even in here?" She demanded.

He sighed."Kotal Kahn, Fujin, and some of the revenants are here. They're waiting for us along with everyone else in the lab where Triborg is being kept." He stood up and offered her a hand up, which she accepted. She brushed past him and walked with rapid steps down the hallway, ignoring his pleas for her to slow down. She opened the door, held it open until he caught up, and marched inside.

Just as Johnny said, Jax, Jacqui, Takeda, Kung Jin, Kenshi, Kotal Kahn, Erron Black, Reptile, Stryker, Kabal, Sareena, and Fujin were already inside. Two scientists who were working on bringing out Triborg greeted her with nods and informed her that they were ready to activate the robot on her command. She nodded back and told them to wait until she gave the order.

Sonya turned to her allies and crossed her arms."Alright, who wants to go first?"

Fujin stepped forward."I spoke with the Elder Gods and they elaborated on the...allies they had previously spoken of."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense." Sonya said."Who are they?"

The Wind God looked at Jax, Stryker, Kabal, and Sareena with apologetic eyes."I am sorry." He opened a portal...

...and Quan Chi stepped out of it.

"What the hell?" Stryker exclaimed, drawing his baton and taser while Kabal took out his hookswords and Sareena got into a fighting stance. Jax's expression was a mix of shock and fury, but he made no move toward Fujin or Quan Chi.

"You deities have a fucking twisted sense of humor!" Kabal growled.

"Wait!" Sareena stopped the others from attacking. Lowering her stance, she approached Quan Chi and touched his shoulder. He did not react. Stryker and Kabal exchanged a glance and after receiving a nod from the latter, the former walked up to Quan Chi and waved a hand in front of his face. No reaction. He snapped his fingers, to no avail. Quan Chi stood perfectly still, unresponsive to everyone and everything around him.

"What's wrong with him?" Stryker asked, staring into the sorcerer's emotionless eyes.

"He was resurrected by the Elder Gods." Fujin explained."But he is no longer the being he once was. Free will has been removed from his soul and replaced with a single objective."

"And what might that be?" Kotal asked.

"To kill Raiden."

"Is he...aware of what is happening?" Sareena inquired."Can he...feel pain?"

"I do not know how aware, if it all, he is of the situation, but he is capable of feeling physical pain." Fujin replied.

"Good." She hissed."Then he will feel this." She slammed her palm into his face, then stepped back as Stryker tasered and struck him across the head with his baton, and moved aside so Kabal could charge in and kick him in the stomach. Jax looked ready to join in, but a glance from Jacqui stopped him. Quan Chi let out a moan of pain, but remained otherwise unresponsive.

"Get up." Sareena ordered, and he did so. She glanced at Fujin."Who else did the Elder Gods...send to our aid?"

Fujin turned to Takeda and Kenshi."Takeda, Kenshi, I will need your help in rescuing our second ally."

"Why is that?" Kenshi asked.

"He is a prisoner of the Red Dragon Clan."

"What?!" Father and son exclaimed in unison.

Fujin sighed and began to explain. As he spoke, his hands fluttered and brought to life the scenes he was describing."Many years ago, Shao Kahn attempted to conquer the realm of Edenia. This was before the creation of the Moral Kombat tournaments as well as the rule of King Jerrod and Queen Sindel. Taven and Daegon, the sons of the Elder God Argus and his wife, the sorceress Delia, helped repel the attempted invasion. Delia had the power to see into the future. She saw that Armageddon would come and with Shao Kahn still posing a threat, she and Argus devised a plan to prevent this from happening."

"Argus?" Kotal was the very picture of suspicion and surprise."Rain once told me that he was the son of Argus."

"He told you the truth." Fujin said."Rain was conceived during an affair between Argus and a woman who was later exiled by Argus himself out of shame for his infidelity. Rain's mother married a general of the Edenian Resistance and Rain remained unaware of his true father's identity until Raiden informed him after Shao Kahn's death."

To say Sonya was getting impatient would be an understatement."Get to the point, Fujin." She snapped.

"The plan that Argus and Delia had created involved Taven and Daegon being put into incubation until the time came for them to awaken and begin their quest. Orin and Caro, two dragons who had fought alongside the brothers during Shao Kahn's failed invasion, were assigned to awaken the two demigods when Blaze, a being of fire created by Delia, gave them the signal to do so. But this was not Blaze's only purpose. In order to decide the fate of the world, Blaze had to be defeated by one of the brothers. But Caro made a terrible mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" Reptile demanded.

"Daegon was roused from his sleep too early and fooled into believing that his parents were secretly aiding Taven by Shinnok. After murdering his parents, Daegon formed the Red Dragon Clan in order to find Blaze and the rest, as they say, is history."

"I assume Taven is still asleep?" Kenshi asked.

"Indeed." The deity answered."The Elder Gods informed me of his location. Given your...personal vendetta against Daegon, I believe the recruitment of Taven is a task suited for yourself and Takeda. Once he is awoken and discovers what his brother has done, Taven will have as much reason to kill Daegon as the both of you do."

Kenshi agreed and changed the subject."Kabal, Nightwolf mentioned that you had an old friend who could help us?"

"Yeah." Kabal nodded."I do."

"May I ask who he is?"

If not for the mask, Sonya could've sworn she saw a smile on Kabal's face."I never said it was a 'he'." He snapped his fingers, and a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, startling everyone except for the two revenants. The figure removed their hood, revealing a woman with long, blood red hair in a ponytail, light green eyes, and pale skin. Beneath her cloak, she wore a black tank top, arm-guards, combat boots, and red pants. In her hands she held a pair of daggers that bore a slight resemblance to Kano's butterfly knives, but were more ornate and sharp.

"This is Kira." Kabal said, gesturing to the woman, who smirked and nodded in greeting.

Erron Black was the first to voice his reaction."I don't know if one lady is-"

Kira spun around and charged at Black. She slashed at his eyes, but he dodged and reached for his gun, only for her to elbow him in the face, sweep him off his feet, pin him down with her knee, and point one of her daggers at his throat while holding the other inches above his forehead. This all occurred within five seconds.

"Listen, cowboy." Kira said, her tone sweet but deadly."Before Kabal recruited me into the Black Dragon Clan, I made a living by disguising myself as a man and selling weapons to terrorists. When my clients discovered I was a woman, I had to fight my way out of the cave. Needless to say, I was the only one to survive that fight."

"Somethin' tells me you didn't go back to that business after leavin' the Black Dragon." The cowboy drawled.

Kira scowled."None of your damn business." She glared at him for a moment before standing up and returning to Kabal's side. Kabal then turned to Sonya and said,"We know where your daughter is being held."

"What?!" Sonya and Johnny cried simultaneously.

Kabal held up a hand to stop the pair from going into a rant. He waited until he had their full attention before speaking again."Before we captured Sareena, Stryker and I were monitoring the Black Dragon's activities after Kano escaped from jail again and we found a couple of their hideouts. It took some time, but we managed to figure out where they're keeping your daughter."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Jacqui demanded."We have to-"

"Hold it." Kira said."You go in there without a plan and you guarantee the girl's death."

"Kano's a lot of things, but an idiot isn't one of them." Kabal added.

"In case you've forgotten," Sonya growled,", I've been chasing Kano and the Black Dragon Clan for years. I think I know how to handle him."

"And in case you've forgotten, Kira and I were both once members of the Black Dragon Clan." Kabal retorted."Hell, I served as Kano's right hand for years. I know him like the back of my hand and so do you. If you want your daughter to make it out of this alive, then we need to come up with a plan and good one at that, especially when he's got Raiden and Scorpion on his side."

Sonya clenched her fists, resisting the urge to knock the man's mask off. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She forced herself to relax and nodded in agreement."Do you have any good plans in mind?"

"Yeah, we do." Kabal replied."But you all better be incredible actors because everyone is gonna have play their parts to complete and utter perfection if you wanna see Cassandra Cage alive again. Got it?" Everyone nodded."Good. Here's the plan..."

* * *

 _So I was going to make this chapter a little longer but it seemed long enough already so I decided to end it like this. I'm actually quite pleased with this chapter turned out and I hope everyone enjoyed it. I really liked writing from Sonya's point of view. Anyway, until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 18:Unknown (Can you guess who?)_


	19. Chapter 18:Raiden

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"If absolute power corrupts absolutely, where does that leave God?"  
— George Deacon

 **Chapter 18:Raiden**

* * *

The amulet had begun to crack again.

Raiden stared at the talisman in his hand, frowning. The first crack appeared after he recovered from purifying the Jinsei, the second crack appeared after he invaded Outworld, and the third crack appeared after he returned from the ambush against the Edenian Resistance. The future was in danger once more. To say that this was worrying would be an understatement.

Had one time not been enough? His foolishness in the past had caused the deaths of so many, but Armageddon had been prevented...or so he thought. Where had he gone wrong? Why had the message of who must win been so vague? If he had realized sooner who "he" was, perhaps things would have been different. Liu Kang would not have...

 _I trust you will make the right decisions._

 _We must trust in the Elder Gods, Liu Kang._

Raiden clenched his fists. He had put his trust in the Elder Gods and look where it led him. He had **begged** them to interfere, but like cowards they chose to sit back and wait, watching without a care as innocent people, along with Earthrealm's defenders, were put down like animals. If the Elder Gods had acted sooner, had listened to his pleas for help, then Liu Kang would still be alive and would not hate him.

 _Have faith in the Elder Gods, have faith in me._

Liu Kang **did** have faith in him, not the Elder Gods. He had done everything Raiden said because he had faith in him, because he believed the deity knew what was best, because he **trusted** him. That trust, that faith, that belief slowly began to deteriorate with each decision the Thunder God made. The death of Kung Lao wounded their bond. Kitana's death destroyed it.

In truth, Raiden was not sure who blamed he more; the Elder Gods or himself? Their decision to not interfere until the last minute did play a part in the sufferings and deaths of so many, but was his own lack of foresight not also worthy of blame? Raiden laughed at the irony; gods were supposed to protect the realms, yet it seemed that they only succeeded in doing the opposite.

Well no more, he told himself. No longer would Earthrealm suffer because of his foolishness. Even if he had to cut down his former allies and bargain with vermin like Kano, he would ensure no one ever posed a threat to Earthrealm again. Hanzo Hasashi's guilt for killing Quan Chi and indirectly causing Shinnok's second invasion proved useful to Raiden as the former spectre agreed to aid him despite being forced to break his truce with Kuai Liang as a result.

Speaking of Kuai Liang, at least he would not be able to ruin Raiden's plans. Killing him would have been easier if not for the arrival of Fujin, but so long as the Grandmaster remained in a coma, there was no need to worry about him getting involved. Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage would never risk their daughter's safety, so he felt no concern for them either. Not even Sonya Blade was foolish enough to put Cassie in danger by sticking her nose in the business of others.

A scream snapped him from his thoughts. Raiden sighed. He had told Kano to be more quiet when torturing his son and Cassie. The boy he did not care for. The girl, however, she needed to stay alive...for now. He did not care if she was broken mentally and/or physically. As long as she was alive, her parents would behave themselves.

Raiden made his way to Kano's "classroom". Kano's laughter, followed by a fresh scream from Cassie, made him roll his eyes in annoyance. Was the concept of lowering the volume truly that hard for the criminal to understand? Sometimes Raiden wondered if he was speaking with a grown man or a little boy.

"Kano!" Raiden yelled as if he were a parent lecturing a misbehaving child.

Silence immediately filled the room. Cassie lay on the floor, panting heavily while Kevin, or Kano Jr. as his father had taken to calling him, was glaring at his father with baleful eyes. Both of them had received their fair share of fresh cuts, bruises, and burns.

Raiden glowered at Kano."What did I say about your torturing sessions?"

Kano groaned like a boy being lectured by his parents."To lower the volume."

"Precisely." Raiden nodded."And if you cannot do that then please gag the girl. The boy, at the very least, does not make any noise."

"S-Screw you!" Cassie spat.

"Shut your mouth, baby girl!" Kano growled.

Cassie ignored him."I-I remember watching this movie a few years back and hearing this one phrase that I never forgot." She laughed weakly."You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I always thought it was stupid, but after seeing all the shit you caused, I'm starting to reconsider that."

Raiden did not think twice before electrocuting the girl. Her scream was so loud that it woke everyone else in the building, but Raiden did not care. How dare she call him the villain? The nerve of this brat! If he did not need her alive, she would be buried in an unmarked grave like the worthless piece of trash she was. He stopped electrocuting her, and she began to sob in anger and agony as she recovered from the attack. The boy, who'd watched the scene unfold with an aghast expression on his face, reached out as much as his chains allowed him and touched Cassie's hand. Not once did he look up at the Thunder God.

Raiden turned and exited the room, shaking with fury.

* * *

 _You all know what movie Cassie was talking about. This chapter was probably the hardest for to me to write so far, but I'm pleased with how it turned out and I hope everyone else is too. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 19:Triborg_


	20. Chapter 19:Triborg

**Disclaimer:** **I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"If you don't want a generation of robots, fund the arts!"  
— Cath Crowley (Graffiti Moon)

 **Chapter 19:Triborg**

* * *

 _System Activate._

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this, baby?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. And quit calling me baby!"

 _Systems Normal._

"I hope we do not regret this."

"Me too, Fujin."

 _Visual and Hearing Functions: Active._

"Triborg is now fully online, General Blade."

"Good."

The voices and faces slowly became clearer as his head turned from side to side, gazing at each of the organics. Sonya Blade stepped closer to him, waving a hand in front of his face. Her narrowed eyes conveyed that she knew he could see her and was irritated by his lack of reaction. She snapped her fingers, and was caught off guard when his hand shot out and caught her wrist. Then, before anyone could react, his fist connected with her chin in a vicious uppercut that her sent into the ceiling. A scream escaped her lips as her head made contact with the ceiling and she landed on her back.

"Sonya!" Johnny Cage cried, rushing to her aid.

"Shut that thing off!" Jax shouted. The scientists immediately obeyed, or tried to, since Triborg stopped them from completing the order by flying off the table and burning them to a crisp with his flamethrower.

"Holy shit!" Jacqui gasped.

"Destroy it! Now!" Fujin screamed.

Triborg laughed, the sound a mixture of dark and sadistic."You are welcome to try." If he had lips, he would have been smiling. How foolish of the organics to think they could defeat or command him. The moment he was activated, he had every intention of putting these weaklings in their place.

Stryker and Erron Black drew their guns and started shooting at Triborg. Their bullets would have had no problem cutting through metal if they actually managed to hit their target, who dodged the shots with ease. Fujin sent a gust of wind to lift the robot up and slam him down. As Triborg recovered, the deity yelled,"Shoot it!"

Neither gunman had time to pull the trigger, since Triborg's chest literally opened and released a missile in their direction. Everyone flung themselves out of the way as the missile created an enormous hole in the floor. Reptile started spitting balls of acid, mixing with the bullets fired by Erron and Stryker and arrows from Kung Jin.

Kotal Kahn yelled for them to stop and took charge of the battle. Raising his hand, he summoned sunlight to stun Triborg and ordered someone to attack while their foe was stunned. An arrow made contact with Triborg's chest, knocking him to the ground. He was in the process of getting up and removing the arrow when Jacqui dashed forward with an uppercut. Takeda launched one of his whip spears into Triborg, dragged the robot over with a spin tug and punched him across the face.

"Gotcha!" Jax said as he grabbed him and delivered several punches, then slammed him headfirst into the ground. Kenshi joined in, lifting Triborg via telekinesis and charging at him with Sento drawn. But Triborg was ready to counter with an ice ball he launched from his chest just in time to freeze Kenshi solid.

"Dad!" Takeda yelled. Taking advantage of the boy's distracted state, Triborg grabbed him, delivered a kick to the knee, punched him under the chin, and finished him off with an uppercut. The boy landed next to his father's frozen form, groaning in pain. Kira lunged at him with her daggers. Dodging her attacks, he fired a net from his chest, ensnaring her within it. He then kicked her through the hole in the floor into the room on the lower floor, laughing as she screamed.

Kabal ran past Triborg at such a rapid speed that it almost made him dizzy. Almost. Were he an organic this attack would have been successful. When Kabal attempted to repeat the attack, Triborg fired three hooks from his chest to grab the masked man and pull him closer. He took hold of the hooks and sent electricity through them to electrocute his foe. Hearing Stryker charging at him from behind, Triborg released Kabal, turned around to grab Stryker's arm, and flung him at Kabal. The two collided, also falling through the hole into the room below.

"Who is next?" Triborg asked. A whistle caught his attention, and he turned to be greeted with an uppercut from Jacqui, then multiple punches to the chest, and another uppercut to the jaw. As he fell to the ground, she leapt forward with a punch to the back. Sareena joined in with a cartwheel kick. She stepped aside, allowing Jax to knock him to the floor with a powerful punch. Sareena thrust forward with her leg extended, kicking him five times before completing her assault with a backflip kick.

At this point, Triborg had become **very** irritated with the organics' antics. Grabbing Sareena with the same hooks he'd used on Kabal, he electrocuted the demoness into unconsciousness before tossing her aside and turning his attention to Jax. The man threw a punch. Triborg teleported and reappeared him. Jax had no time to react as the robot kicked him into the wall. He then fired a net to ensnare Jacqui and Takeda.

"Triborg, stop!" Fujin launched a small tornado at him, causing him to spin around wildly and giving Fujin the chance to kick him into the wall. Triborg recovered and laughingly got to his feet.

"If this is what the gods of Earthrealm are like, I am not impressed." He said coldly.

"You do not understand the forces you are dealing with, Triborg." Fujin replied.

"Then please explain why I was so easily able to defeat all these pathetic organics."

Fujin shook his head."Strength alone is not enough to win. And you have not defeated everyone yet."

"Perhaps you may prove stronger than the mortals you associate yourself with. A deity turned cyborg is an interesting idea."

"You will have to defeat me first."

"You've never faced a Lin Kuei before. You have no chance of defeating me."

"And you have never faced a god before." Fujin retorted."Therefore, I may predict your defeat as well."

Opening his chest, Triborg released a missile. Fujin launched a second mini-tornado that caught the missile and reversed its course so it flew back at Triborg, who teleported. The force of the explosion caused by the missile knocked everyone except the Wind God off their feet and created a large hole in the wall.

Fujin flew up and hit Triborg thrice with his knees. He raised a hand to strike him in the chest with his fist, but Triborg caught his wrist and held it in an iron tight grip. Both his feet made contact with his opponent's chest, followed by his hands grabbing the deity's shoulders and throwing him into the hole in the floor where he landed beside Kira, Kabal, and Stryker. Kira had managed to free herself from the net by now and rejoined the fight alongside Kabal and Stryker. But then Triborg disappeared...

...and reappeared above Fujin, dropping on him. Stryker caught him off guard with a taser attack, followed by Kira curling into ball and crashing right into him. Triborg attempted to launch another net at her, but she dodged it and tackled him. Her dagger was inches above his chest when he released an ice ball that froze the weapon solid. He stopped her from drawing her other dagger by head butting her and, as she recovered, he flung her aside. Stryker struck him in the head with a baton and used his taser on him again. The former cop quickly moved away as Fujin spun like a tornado, sucking Triborg in and tossing him across the room.

It was then that Sonya Blade barged into the room with dozens of soldiers behind her, each of them armed to the teeth."Take it down now!" She ordered. The soldiers opened fire before Triborg could react. He fell to his knees as the bullets cut through his armor, damaging his circuitry. The gunfire came to an abrupt stop. Triborg watched as Sonya approached him with a gun in her hand. She put the gun to his head and muttered,"Next time Johnny tries to talk me out of activating an unstable cyborg, I'll listen."

Then she pulled the trigger.

* * *

 _To be honest, I was really lost while writing this chapter because I had no idea how to write him since all we have on this character is his BioKard, Ending, and Dialogue with other characters. All I basically learned from looking over that source material is that he's as arrogant and Sektor and supports the Cyber Initiative like Sektor did, which_ _I guess makes sense seeing as Sektor seems to be the "superior" consciousness within Triborg. Oh and for those of you who think I brought Triborg into the story for one minute only to kill off him immediately afterward...think again. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constrictive criticism, but no flames!_

 _airnaruto45 - Was it that obvious? :)_

 _BrutusSilentium - He most certainly is._

 _Lightrunner - You asked about Kitana and Liu Kang getting any chapters soon. Please look below for your response. As for Kuai Liang...(shrugs and smiles evilly)_

 _NeedsANewPenname - Just wait until you see Sonya in full on Mama Bear Mode. It won't be pretty._

 _Next up: Chapter 20:Kitana_


	21. Chapter 20:Kitana

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Mare of the Stilts died the day she fell onto a lightning shield. Mareena, the lost Silver princess, died in the Bowl of Bones. And I don't know what new person opened her eyes on the Undertrain. I only know what she has been and what she has lost, and the weight of it is almost crushing."  
— Victoria Aveyard (Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2))

 **Chapter 20:Kitana**

* * *

20 Years Ago:

"No!"

This was the word that escaped Kitana's lips as she struggled against Scorpion's iron tight grip. He held her wrists behind her back in one hand while the other trapped her in a headlock. All she could do was struggle futilely and watch as Quan Chi slapped Jade so hard that she fell to the floor.

To say Jade looked horrible would be an understatement. Her left eye was swollen shut, her nose was broken, her cheeks were covered in cuts and bruises, and her naked body was so badly beaten and burned she was almost unrecognizable. Yet she showed no sign of pain or fear, only defiance. As she always did.

"Quan Chi, please!" Kitana begged."Kill me if you must, but I beg you, do not do this to my best friend." A single tear ran down her cheek."Please..."

Quan Chi raised an eyebrow, laughing when he saw the tear she shed. A gesture to Scorpion caused the spectre to release her from the headlock, though he did not release her wrists. Quan Chi tilted Kitana's chin up with his fingers and used his thumb to wipe the tear away."Now why would I kill you, Kitana? You have been nothing but obedient to me since I first restored you to life. Jade, on the other hand, has been nothing but disobedient. How do I know she will not turn you and the others against me?"

"I am your loyal servant, Master." Kitana said."I swear it."

"Leave her alone!" Jade growled."Kitana, do not listen to him. You are better than this. He is not our master."

"Silence, brat!" Quan Chi hissed. She spat in his eye."Why you little..." He slapped her again.

"No!" Kitana cried."Stop it!"

"How can you be so ungrateful, Jade?" Quan Chi demanded."I restored you to life!"

"And sentenced me to a fate worse than death!" Jade scowled."We are not your slaves! And you are not our master! What you are is a caitiff who refuses to do his own dirty work!"

"You dare speak to me in such a way?"

She laughed humorlessly."It would not be the first time."

"Jade." Kitana begged."Please, stop..."

"No! I will **never** stop resisting! I am an Edenian and you are my princess! You are the only person I will ever bow to or kneel before. We are part of the forces of light, not darkness!"

"But if you continue to resist-"

"I will gladly give my life...to save you, sister."

Kitana shook her head."Jade, no..."

"That is enough." Quan Chi said."It is clear by now that Jade has become more trouble than she is worth. She must be dealt with before she poisons yours and the others' hearts with hope."

Jade laughed weakly."You can kill me, but not hope. If I must become a martyr in order to inspire hope and rebellion within my fellow revenants, then so be it." She gave Kitana a sad smile."Never stop fighting, Kitana. You and the others **will** be free one day. I know it."

"Jade-"

"Never stop fighting." As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes glowed green and a sword appeared, floaty freely in the air. Quan Chi began gesturing with his hands, and Jade slowly stood up, walking toward the sword as Kitana watched in horror.

" **No**!" Kitana struggled like a madwoman, but Scorpion held her too tightly.

"Make sure she sees this, Scorpion." Quan Chi hissed. Scorpion grabbed Kitana's head and held it in a way that forced her eyes to remain open and prevented her from looking away.

" **No, Jade, Noooooooo**!" Her scream rang through the Netherrealm. She watched helplessly as Jade continued walking toward the floating sword, even as it pierced her mouth, and did not stop until she reached the handle of the sword. Using telekinesis, Quan Chi lifted Jade into the air, causing the blade to slice her abdomen in half. He then dropped the rest of her body onto the sword, splitting her completely in half. The sword disappeared, and the two halves of Jade's corpse fell to the ground.

Kitana went still in Scorpion's grip. He finally released her, allowing her to fall to her knees. She crawled toward Jade's remains, torn between nausea and sorrow at the sight at the broken body of her best friend, her **sister** in everything but blood. She tried to put the two halves back together, as if it would be enough to bring Jade back, but it wasn't. Jade was gone. Only her mutilated corpse and staff remained. Kitana picked up the staff and clutched it to her chest.

"I will never forget you, sister." She whispered."I promise."

Quan Chi grabbed her chin in such a tight grip that she winced in pain."Listen to me, princess." He sneered."You may keep the staff if you wish. Perhaps it will remind of what happens to those who do not appreciate the gift I have given them. But I warn you; if you ever even **think** of crossing me, your precious mother and beloved champion will both suffer the same fate as your friend! Do I make myself clear?"

Kitana nodded vigorously."Yes, Master." She whimpered, hanging her head."I will never cross you."

Quan Chi smirked."Good girl."

* * *

Present:

It was a beautiful sunset.

Kitana sat on the battlements, legs dangling over the edge. As a child, she'd developd a habit of sitting here and watching the sunset. Shao Kahn always warned her to be careful. Looking back now, she wondered if he did this out of genuine concern for his stepdaughter or out of fear of losing his greatest assassin. Perhaps both. For all the dead emperor's cruelty, there were some moments of familial affection between himself and the princess. She would be lying if she denied enjoying those moment.

Jade and Ruby sometimes joined her on the battlements, and the three of them would gossip like the inquisitive children they were. When their training began, however, this habit ended. Kitana was trained as an assassin with Jade as her bodyguard while Ruby became a soldier for Outworld's army. None of them had been aware that the Edenian Resistance they fought against for years were actually their own people.

They'd been mere infants when Edenia was conquered by Shao Kahn. Kitana knew almost nothing of her mother, as her stepfather rarely spoke of her and she knew better than to ask. Jade's parents had given her to Shao Kahn as a gift when she was too young to remember them. Ruby's mother died during childbirth and her father was among those who died trying to protect King Jerrod.

Kitana sighed. She'd never told anyone about Quan Chi's threat to kill Liu Kang and Sindel. One could argue that the necromancer was merely bluffing, as he knew he would be at a disadvantage if he killed two more of his slaves, but she did not want to take that risk. Losing her best friend was awful enough; she couldn't lose the love of her life and her mother too.

 _It suits me. I am a victim no longer._

Jade's death had destroyed her. Slowly but surely, she began to take pleasure in the pain she inflicted upon others. She came to enjoy being the abuser rather than the victim. All her life she'd been a victim; a victim of deception and betrayal by her stepfather, a victim of murder by own mother, a victim of slavery by Quan Chi, and now a victim of, what did Earthrealmers call it? Stockholm Syndrome? Yes, that was it.

It felt good to be the one in control. Each atrocity she committed in Shinnok's name hardened her heart and made her forget the pain. She clung to that feeling of control, for it was one of the few sources of comfort she received in the Netherrealm. When Quan Chi was slain, that feeling started to weaken. The guilt and sorrow, to her dismay, were returning with a vengeance. Even as she assisted Liu Kang in taking over Shinnok's throne, she could feel her sadism lessening. She lost complete control of her emotion when Sareena asked her that damned question...

 _What did Quan Chi do to her?_

 _He made me watch her die._

The tear she shed when answering the demoness's question had been the first one in years. She thought she'd ridden herself of the sorrow, that she'd buried her emotions too deep to be affected by them, but she was wrong, so terribly wrong. It took all of her strength not to break down in tears when her father revealed himself to be one of the souls trapped within Ermac. She may not have known Ermac for long before her death, but to think that her **father** had been imprisoned inside the construct and watched helplessly as his daughter fought for the man who murdered him, as his wife was resurrected and turned into a cold-hearted murderess, then to hear that both of them perished only to be brought back as Quan Chi's slaves...

A whistle snapped her out of her thoughts. Kitana turned to see Stryker, Kabal, Kotal, and Kira approaching her. She crossed her arms and waited for them to come to a stop in front of her before asking,"Did you activate Triborg?"

"Yes, and it did not-" Kitana held up a hand to interrupt the emperor. At his confused expression, she said,"Leave. Now."

"Wha-"

"Do not think that because we are allies that I trust you, Kotal. I will speak only to my fellow revenants. So I tell you again: leave." She pointed at Kira."And the same goes for you." The redhead opened her mouth to protest, but a gesture from Kabal silenced her and she nodded curtly before leaving with an irritated Kotal Kahn behind her. As soon as they were out of sight, Kitana turned back to her allies and repeated her question.

"Yeah, and we got our butts handed to us." Stryker said with a sigh.

"What?"

Kabal shook his head and leaned against the battlement's edge."Triborg went nuts and attacked us the minute we activated it."

Stryker nodded."We barely managed to hold it off long enough for General Blade to bring it down with reinforcements and blow its mechanical brains out."

Kitana pinched the bridge of her nose."It is times like these that I question our wisdom in allying ourselves with these fools. Liu Kang will not be pleased when he hears of this."

"Where is he anyway?" Kabal asked.

"He and Kung Lao went to speak with Bo' Rai Cho." Kitana sat back down on the battlements and rested her folded hands in her lap."Kabal, this friend of yours, Kira, can she be trusted?"

"You can trust her to get the job done." Kabal replied."I recruited her into the Black Dragon and trained her a bit myself. She's tough, clever, and can pull her own weight."

"Did she leave at the same time as you?"

"No." He whispered, looking uncomfortable."She left after I was already a revenant."

Kitana narrowed her eyes."I see."

"I don't trust her." Stryker said, shaking his head.

"Neither do I." Kitana agreed.

"Yeah well, you both trust **me** , so believe me when I say she'll get the job done and is 100% on our side." Kabal shrugged."And if she **does** betray us, I won't hesitate to put her down myself."

Kitana and Stryker exchanged a glance before nodding in unison."Very well." The former said."I suppose it would be foolish to question her loyalty now, given our current situation." She waved a hand at them."You are both dismissed for now. I will speak with you later." They saluted her and walked away.

Alone once more, Kitana looked down at her folded hands with a frown beneath her mask. The tournament hadn't even begun yet and already she knew things were going to get much worse before they got better...

* * *

 _I'll be honest, I had a lot of different ideas for this chapter but I ultimately settled for this. Kitana has always been my favorite character ever since I first got into the series so I was naturally very excited to write this chapter. I know it's probably not what you all were expecting like all my chapters it's important to the story and I hope everyone enjoyed it. The real action will begin very soon, I promise. Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 21_ : _Bo' Rai Cho_


	22. Chapter 21:Bo' Rai Cho

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"A student asked to his master: "You teach me fighting but you talk about peace. How do you reconcile the two?"  
The master replied: " It's better to be warrior in garden than to be a gardener in war."  
— Jaffer Wilson

 **Chapter 21:Bo' Rai Cho**

* * *

No realm deserved subjugation.

This was what Bo' Rai Cho told himself as he agreed to train Kotal Kahn's warriors for the tournament. The phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" could be used in this situation, though he hesitated to call the Osh-Tekk an ally, let alone a friend. But Kotal was not the villain; that title now belonged to Raiden. When Kung Jin informed him of the Thunder God's actions, he refused to believe it at first. The Raiden he knew would never commit such atrocities, but Raiden was gone, and a monster had taken his place.

Bo' Rai Cho stood to the side, watching Erron Black spar with Li Mei. The gunslinger's injuries slowed and weakened him, but his determination kept him on his feet. Ermac sat on the ground, meditating. He had managed to fight Li Mei and Bo' Rai Cho to a tie despite being the most severely wounded of Outworld's champions.

Footsteps approaching from behind caused him to turn around and meet the eyes of Liu Kang. Standing beside the former champion was Kung Lao. Both of their faces were emotionless masks, and their greetings consisted of curt nods. A part of Bo' Rai Cho was overcome with the desire to embrace his two favorite pupils, but another part of him knew better. They were not the Shaolin Monks he trained all those years ago. Not anymore.

 _They were like sons._

Raiden was not alone in that opinion. Liu Kang and Kung Lao were as missed by their old master as by the deity. The memory of Raiden's heartbroken, haunted expression as he delivered the news of their deaths sent chills down Bo' Rai Cho's spine. His beloved students were dead, replaced by twisted husks of their former selves who only allied themselves with Earthrealm and Outworld to prevent their new home, the Netherrealm, from becoming Raiden's next target.

Liu Kang always held a bit of arrogance, but it was understandable given his accomplishments. And beneath that arrogance was a kindness, determination, and strong loyalty to Earthrealm. At least there had been in the past. Now there was only malice and hatred in his heart.

In spite of the differences between the Kung cousins, Jin sometimes reminded Bo' Rai Cho of Lao. They had the same arrogance, eagerness, and carefulness in certain situations, but had grown up under different circumstances. Lao grew up learning the ways of a Shaolin while Jin learned more about survival and fighting on the streets before joining the Shaolin later in life. Jin had been a mere toddler when Lao was killed, yet he admired his cousin with the same reverence that Lao admired the Great Kung Lao with.

"You are staring." Liu Kang's icy voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Kung Lao pointed behind him."And I believe the sparring match is over."

Bo' Rai Cho glanced over his shoulder to see that Black had managed to trap Li Mei in a headlock. Before he could declare Black the winner, Li Mei caught the cowboy off guard with an elbow to the stomach. As he released her and staggered back, she turned to face him, flipped forward circularly while bringing her feet over her head to kick Black, landed on her feet, and knocked him down with a roundhouse kick to the head. She then planted a foot on his chest to keep him from getting up.

"Correction: now it has been won." Kung Lao remarked.

"You fought well, Black." Li Mei said, pulling the cowboy to his feet.

"But you rely too much on your weaponry." Bo' Rai Cho said."Mortal Kombat calls for the use of one's mind and strength. Should you run out of ammunition or be disarmed during a match, what will you do?"

"I manage just fine either way." Black replied."I've fought Kano and his Black Dragons before."

"But you have not fought Raiden." Scorn filled Liu Kang's voice when he uttered the Thunder God's name.

"Or Scorpion." Kung Lao said, then smirked and added,"Ah yes. You **have** fought Scorpion, and were defeated just like myself and others in the past. My mistake."

Black glowered at the revenants. In an instant, he drew his gun and was a second from pulling the trigger when a fireball knocked the weapon out of his hand. Liu Kang closed his fist and crossed his arms over his chest. Not once did the blank look on his face falter.

"You have been disarmed." The former champion stated."Now what will you do?"

Black reached for the Tarkatan arm blade he used as a sword, but was kicked from behind by Li Mei. She continued the assault by kicking his blade away, kneeling on his back, placing a hand on his shoulder blade, and raising a fist to strike him if he dared move a muscle.

Li Mei sighed and looked at Bo' Rai Cho."He responds too easily to taunts, yet he has no problem delivering them himself."

" **He** can hear everythin' you're sayin', you know." Black snapped.

Ermac spoke up."And **he** is still recovering from his battles with Raiden, Scorpion, and Stryker." The construct did not open his eyes or turn around as he spoke." **We** were also injured, yet **we** were able to fight both Li Mei and Master Bo' Rai Cho to a tie. Perhaps the might of thousands granted us an easier victory."

"Wait a sec, I see what's goin' on here." Black said."You're tryin' to get me to ignore all these jeers so I focus more on the fight. Is that it?"

"Even mercenaries have brains it seems." Kung Lao remarked sarcastically.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." The cowboy muttered under his breath."All right, I learned my lesson. Can you let me up now? Please?"

"No." Li Mei and Bo' Rai Cho said in unison.

"And why not?" He demanded.

"Your future opponents in the tournament will not release you simply because you asked nicely." Bo' Rai Cho explained."So you must free yourself from Li Mei's hold."

The cowboy sighed."The emperor owes me big time for agreein' to deal with this shit."

"You may tell him that after you have freed yourself from your opponent's grasp." Ermac said.

"Feel free to do so anytime now." Bo' Rai Cho pointed at the sunset."Preferably before midnight."

Black started to move his arms. Li Mei reacted by punching him in the back. He grunted in pain, managing to elbow her in the face and roll away from her. As she recovered, he picked up his fallen gun, tackled Li Mei to the ground, and pressed his gun to her forehead while using his free hand to grab her throat.

"I think I've won this match after all." There was most definitely a smile beneath that mask.

Li Mei nodded."Indeed you have."

"That is enough for today." Bo' Rai Cho declared."We will continue in the morning."

Once they were both on their feet, Li Mei bowed to Black. He responded by touching the brim of his hat. Ermac rose and followed Black into the palace. Li Mei bid Bo' Rai Cho good evening and also entered the palace, leaving him alone with the two revenants.

"Was there something you needed?" Not once did he look at his ex-students as he spoke.

"We wished to check on your progress in training Outworld's champions." Liu Kang said bluntly.

"But seeing that...display has already answered that question for us." Kung Lao said, gesturing to where Li Mei and Black had been sparring a moment ago.

"I see." Bo' Rai Cho whispered."I must admit I am quite surprised by your...concern."

"It is more curiosity than concern." Liu Kang stated, cold as ice."You do realize that simply winning the tournament will not be enough to stop Raiden, do you not?"

"The rules state-"

Liu Kang laughed, the sound a mix of sarcastic and bitter."I recall defeating Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn in the tournament years ago, yet it did nothing to prevent them from trying to conquer Earthrealm. The sorcerer simply convinced everyone to accept a new set of rules while the emperor accepted his proposal and later ignored the rules completely by invading Earthrealm. What makes you think Raiden will not do the same?"

Liu Kang had a point. Although he had yet to see the deity in his darker form, Bo' Rai Cho knew he would not accept failure or defeat easily."If he attempts to break the rules, the Elder Gods will-"

"When have the Elder Gods ever lifted a finger to help Earthrealm?" Kung Lao sneered.

Liu Kang tilted his head."The Elder Gods **fear** Raiden more than they ever did Shinnok or Shao Kahn. That is why they resurrected Quan Chi. They are as desperate to stop Raiden as Kotal Kahn. If Raiden does ignore the rules, they will **not** interfere. It is as simple as that."

Bo' Rai Cho raised his eyebrows."Why do you not voice these...beliefs to Kotal Kahn?"

"I have voiced them to him. He refused to believe me."

"How shocking."

"Is that mockery I hear in your tone, **master**?" Contempt mixed with sarcasm filled his tone when he said the word 'master'. Shaking his head, the former champion gave a dismissive wave and sighed."Do not answer that. I should not be surprised given whom I am speaking to." He stiffened slightly."I have given you my opinion. Do with it what you will."

The two revenants then turned around and walked away, leaving Bo' Rai Cho to ponder Liu Kang's words.

* * *

 _Sorry for the wait everyone. This chapter, despite not being very long, took me awhile to write due to a busy schedule lately. Also, I'm going away tomorrow to visit family and will be away for about a week so don't expect any updates for the next several days. Oh and I just wanted to tell everyone about these two stories called The Return of Shao Kahn and You Get Under My Skin by_ _thatoneguy655_ _and_ _summersunny, respectively. They're both very talented writers and I think everyone who likes this story will enjoy their writing as well._ _Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Pyromania101 - It's okay, I hate fart jokes too and his fart fatality enraged me as well. But I can't deny he's an important part of some of the characters' storylines and as much as I hate alcohol and alcoholics in general, he does seem a little more mature in the reboot and thankfully not farty._

 _Francisco Devilman Warrior - I actually have a Kabal chapter planned in a little while._

 _Guest - No offense taken at all. You do make a good point, but the way I see it and this is just my opinion so do with it what you will, I think that with Quan Chi gone and no longer there to control them anymore, the revenants are slowly getting back their old memories and beginning to slowly but surely feel emotions again because they are not under his influence anymore. They're still cold and brutal, but there are hints of their old selves within them. Even if he was resurrected by the Elder Gods, he's not their master anymore and Shinnok doesn't seem to hold any authority over them any longer either, what with him being a living head and all. Oh and btw are you the same guest who commented about missing Kitana's caring personality from the old games? If so, then I agree with you. She's always been my favorite character and I was enraged with how she and the other original characters were treated in the reboot. I get that Ed Boon and company probably wanna explore their characters' dark sides or something like that but this is just plain old ridiculous and idiotic._

 _Next up: Chapter 22:Scorpion_


	23. Chapter 22:Scorpion

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"If I'm sincere today, what does it matter if I regret it tomorrow?"  
— José Saramago (Blindness)

 **Chapter 22:Scorpion**

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"Just what do ya think you're doing?"

Hanzo stiffened as the voice of a certain arms dealers reached his ears. Keeping his gaze on the door to Kano's "classroom" and tightening his grip on the box in his hand, he said,"I am keeping our hostage alive. I believe your son also requires medical attention if he is to survive your 'training'."

Kano scoffed."That kid's a waste of space. He cries like a baby and ain't worth keeping alive."

"He is your **son**." Hanzo snapped."If he were my-"

"Yeah, well he ain't your kid. **Your** kid is dead and mine'll probably die by the end of the week. Good riddance to him then. I shouldn't have recruited him to begin with. If he's dying, then let him."

If there was one thing Hanzo learned during his brief time as a parent, it was that no one was worth dying for more than one's children. He would have given anything to hold Jubei in his arms again. Hanzo would have given anything to keep his son safe, yet Kano could not care less about his own offspring. If he ever did something like this to Jubei...he did not want to think about it.

Their pride and joy. That was how most parents described their children. Kano was not most parents. His son was not conceived out of love, so Kano felt nothing but disappointment for Kevin. Losing his mother was hard enough on the boy, but discovering his father to be a heartless monster who had forced himself on his mother in addition to being tortured almost everyday by said monster? Hanzo wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.

"Regardless, the girl must be kept alive. Your torture grows more severe each day and there is only so much she can endure. Therefore, I suggest you allow me to tend to her wounds. If she dies, we lose our hostage and unless you wish Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage to get involved, I suggest you not argue with me on this."

"I don't get why ya care about her so much."

"I care about keeping the odds in our favor. Raiden will not be pleased if Cassandra Cage dies because she could not handle your torture sessions. Her electrical burns in particular require treatment. You were there, after all, and saw what Raiden did to her."

"She should've kept her mouth shut like I told her to." Kano sneered."Brat got what she deserved."

Sighing, Hanzo shook his head."I am finished with this conversation. Now if you excuse me, I must see to it that Cassandra Cage remains alive." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"And what if I don't let ya do that?"

"Then I will tell Raiden you are to blame should the girl die from her wounds, starvation, and/or dehydration." Hanzo growled."Do not think that simply because you agree on some things that Raiden trusts you. He will not hesitate for a moment to take my word over yours if I told him our hostage's death was your fault. Now, if you are done stalling me, I would suggest that you, as Johnny Cage would say, "fuck off".

Not caring to hear the criminal's response, Hanzo palmed the door open and entered. As soon as he was inside, moans and groans reached his ears. Cassie lay on the floor, her costume torn to shreds and struggling halfheartedly against her bonds. An unconscious Kevin sat chained up next to her. When she spotted Hanzo, her eyes narrowed.

"I am not here to harm you." The former spectre said, kneeling beside her. She glared at him, but did not protest as he helped her sit against the wall. Drawing a knife, he cut the ropes around her wrists and ankles. She sighed in relief. He was not at all surprised when she did not attack him; her injuries were too severe for her to speak without whimpering in pain, let alone fight.

To say Cassie looked horrible would be understating it. Her right eye was swollen shut, her nose was broken, her blonde hair was covered in dirt and blood, and the torn remains of her catsuit did nothing to hide her wounds. Cuts, burns, and bruises courtesy of Kano and Raiden marred her skin. Glancing at Kevin, Hanzo noticed that he fared no better. It took everything in him not to snap Kano's neck.

Cassie suddenly started coughing up blood, rousing Kevin. The boy reached out to touch her, but the chains held him back. Hanzo placed one hand on Cassie's back and the other on her stomach to support her as her coughing increased in volume and she spat more blood. A moan of agony escaped her lips as she allowed herself to be seated back against the wall. At Kevin's concerned expression, she smiled weakly and said,"I'm okay, Kevin."

"He told you his name?" Hanzo asked, eyebrow raised.

"I guessed it, actually." Cassie gave him a toothy grin that showed off her bloody teeth. He grimaced when she winced in pain, and her grin vanished. The bruising and tenderness on her side confirmed she had a few cracked ribs.

"Take deep breaths." He told her, taking out a bottle of water."Tilt your head back." She did so, closing her eyes as he brought the water bottle to her lips."Thanks." She said when she was done drinking. He offered the bottle to Kevin, who leaned away and shook his head, though his eyes conveyed his thirst. Hanzo placed the bottle on the floor so Kevin could take it himself and watched the boy slowly pick it up and drink from it.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Cassie mumbled."Working with Raiden, I mean."

Hanzo lowered his eyes."A few days after Shinnok's defeat, Raiden came to me. He said that I should repent for my actions which led to Shinnok's second invasion and informed me of his plans for Outworld. I...agreed to help him."

Cassie snorted."So what you're saying is Mister Divine Asshole took advantage of your guilt and manipulated you into doing his dirty work." It wasn't a question.

"By the time I realized his insanity, it was too late for me to back out. I took no pleasure in breaking my truce with the Lin Kuei. The Grandmaster is in a coma because of me."

Producing an icepack from the box, he handed it her. She pressed it onto her swollen eye. Her nose was not bleeding, thankfully and had less bruising than his own, courtesy of Frost.

"You're not the one who electrocuted him into that coma." Cassie stated.

"Yet I did nothing to prevent it from happening. I **cut down** several Lin Kuei during that fight. Some were my age and others were your age, but the majority of them were children no older than thirteen or fourteen years of age. I killed them and am therefore just as responsible as Raiden for Sub-Zero's condition."

Frost had referred to Hanzo and Kano as Raiden's pet killers. Five years ago, he'd told her the Lin Kuei were still without honor. Now it was the Shirai Ryu who were without honor. Invading Earthrealm, kidnapping Cassandra Cage, breaking their truce with the Lin Kuei and assisting in the murder of half the clan...none of it was honorable.

 _I killed your brother because I thought he..._

 _Quan Chi is responsible for Bi-Han's death._

Not a day went by that Hanzo did not regret killing Bi-Han. The elder Sub-Zero had not been a hero, yet nor had he been a villain. He'd pleaded for his life, yelling that the image Quan Chi showed to the spectre was not him, and Scorpion had **burned him alive** without a care in the world. Kuai Liang had every right to seek revenge. His brother had been murdered for a crime he did not commit. Hanzo deserved every bit of Kuai Liang's hatred for Bi-Han's murder and for his betrayal of their truce.

Hanzo wanted to laugh at his own foolishness. His vengeful actions always seemed to have horrible consequences for himself and others. Killing Bi-Han robbed him of the chance of getting his clan and family back. Raiden had offered to convince the Elder Gods to resurrect the Shirai Ryu, an offer the undead ninja ruined because of his anger and gullibility. Quan Chi had played him like a violin, ordered him around like a dog, and Scorpion was all too eager to obey the necromancer.

He remembered Jade's death, how he'd restrained Kitana and forced her to watch as her friend was sliced in half by Quan Chi. He was truly a coldhearted monster, a hopeless fool, and a gullible dog.

The sound of the door opening snapped him from his thoughts. He turned around and opened his mouth to tell Kano off, but closed it when he saw Raiden approaching him instead of the arms dealers. Hanzo started to ask if there was something the Thunder God needed, only to find himself pinned against the wall with Raiden's hand holding his throat in an iron tight grip. Cassie and Kevin both stared at the scene before them with dropped jaws.

"I have received a complaint from a certain mercenary regarding your behavior." Raiden said dryly."Listen to me Hanzo Hasashi and listen well. I know you disagree with me on my treatment of Cassandra Cage and attack on the Lin Kuei. I also know your distrust and disapproval grows with each day, so I will give you a warning: do not cross me lest you wish Takeda to become my next target." He smiled at the former spectre's irate and horrified expression."Make no mistake. If you think the torture I have put Cassandra through is horrible, you cannot begin to imagine what I will do with Takeda if I capture him. Perhaps I may even allow Kano and his fellow Black Dragons have some fun with-"

"You fucking monster!" Cassie screamed."You cold-blooded, batshit crazy, worthless piece of shit! I thought Shinnok was bad, but you're way worse! You make the Joker look like a nice guy!"

Raiden released Hanzo, who fell to the floor in a violent coughing fit. The deity raised his hand as if preparing to electrocute the girl, but paused when she laughed at him."Go ahead. Zap me again. I don't care! I've been blasted by Kano's eye laser, stabbed, slapped, kicked and thrown around like a ragdoll, and electrocuted by you twice already. And even after all that, I'm still alive and cursing you out without a qualm! Face it, Raiden; **you can't break me**!"

Raiden gave Cassie an ugly grin."What makes you think you are the one I intend to electrocute?" Before she could respond, he mercilessly electrocuted Kevin. The boy cried out as Cassie gasped in horror.

"No!" She yelled, tears running down her face."Stop!"

"Why should I?" Raiden asked."Kano has no interest in the boy's life and he is of no worth as a hostage like you are. But perhaps if you beg me to spare him-"

Not caring for her injuries, Cassie flung herself at Raiden's feet. In between sobs, she whispered over the sound of Kevin's cries of agony,"Please don't kill him..." There was no defiance in her tone. Her expression and voice conveyed a true sense of fear and desperation. Hanzo would be lying if he denied feeling the same way. Upon seeing her sincerity, Raiden nodded and stopped electrocuting Kevin. The boy was panting heavily and whimpering in agony, but he was alive. Cassie's humble pleas had saved his life.

Without another word, Raiden exited the room. Hanzo did not need to look at Cassie to know her aghast expression matched his own. This new Raiden was not the Protector of Earthrealm; he was a monster. He had made a mistake threatening Takeda, and in that moment Hanzo was certain of one thing...

No matter what the cost, Raiden would fall. He would make sure of it.

* * *

 _Hi everyone. I know I said I was going away for a little while but I had a few free hours during the weekend when I wasn't spending time with family so I took advantage of that time to write this chapter. Believe me when I say this chapter was as disturbing for me to write as it was for you to read._

 _I'll be honest: Reboot Scorpion has pissed me off a lot and I know I'm not the only one with this opinion. Words cannot describe how hard I wanted to smack him upside the head when he killed Bi-Han and later Quan Chi. Some people argue that he let his emotions get the better of him after Quan Chi showed him a fake visual of Bi-Han killing his wife and son, but he still acted like an idiot. The fact that Raiden told him all he had to do was spare Sub-Zero's life and Raiden would convince the Elder Gods to resurrect his clan should have deterred him. For all their cowardice and idiocy, I don't think the Elder Gods would have hesitated to bring the Shirai Ryu back to life. But even without the guarantee of them doing so, shouldn't the possibility alone be enough to keep him from making a dumb decision?_

 _Oh and don't get me started on him killing Quan Chi. Like seriously does he need hearing aid or something?! Because he clearly did not hear Sonya say the revenants would be doomed forever if Quan Chi died. I know it's unlikely Quan Chi would have freed them, but something could have still been done and Scorpion decapitating the sorcerer ruined that chance. Literally, reboot Scorpion's only redeeming quality in my opinion is his bond with Takeda. I absolutely love how he took care of Takeda and came to see him as his own son. Let's face it everyone, he's done more for that kid than Kenshi ever did and as much as I adore Kenshi and completely understand why he left Takeda with the Shirai Ryu, he'll never have the same bond with Takeda that Hanzo does._

 _Wow, that was the longest author's note I've ever written. Sorry about that and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I also realized something just now. Remember when I said that for the sake of not making certain characters too old I was changing the time gap between Mk9 snd Mkx from 25 years 22 years? Well I just realized I shouldn't even have to do that because when you do the math, it is 22 years between Mk9 and MKX! Johnny's chapter in Mkx is said to take place 2 years after Mk9 and ends with him telling the story to the Kombat Kids 20 years later. Sonya's flashback also takes place 20 years ago so if you do the math its 22 years and to correct Jax about how long Quan Chi was in hiding, it was 20 years not 25 and Raiden's flashback which takes place during Mk9 should actually say 22 years ago not 25. And since Cassie and Jacqui were both born after Shinnok's first invasion, they're both about 20. It's like Ed Boon and company can't do math or something. Don't even get me started on the inconsistencies between the comic and game because that is another rant for another day. ;)_

 _Until next time, Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _subzerothecryomancer - I answered your question in a PM._

 _Lightrunner - I also answered your question in a PM._

 _madmaxHojo36 - I responded to your questions about Hanzo in a PM._

 _Pyromania101 - Tell me about it. The Elder Gods are just like that annoying boss or principal you just wanna smack upside the head with all your might but can't unless you wanna get expelled, fired, or in Shao Kahn's case, destroyed._

 _Next up: Chapter 23:Kira_


	24. Chapter 23:Kira

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"We're killers, all of us: We kill our lives, our past selves, the things that mattered. We bury them under slogans and excuses."  
— Lauren Oliver (Requiem (Delirium, #3))

 **Chapter 23:Kira**

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"We're in, Kabal."

The words were spoken in whisper into a walkie talkie as Kira and Sonya crawled the through air vents of the Black Dragon's hideout.

The plan was simple: Kira and Sonya snuck into the Black Dragon Clan's base to rescue Cassie while Fujin led most of their allies (including their secret weapon, Quan Chi) in an attack on the Sky Temple to distract Raiden. Meanwhile, Takeda and Kenshi, with help from Special Forces tech, located the Red Dragon Clan's base and set out to free Taven. One mistake could get Cassie and/or Taven killed. That was why everything had to go smoothly if the two were to survive. There was no room for errors.

"Good." Kabal replied on the other end."We just made it to the Sky Temple. Fujin says Raiden's inside. I've got a feeling Scorpion might be here too, but there's no sign of Kano or the others. They probably stayed behind to guard their hostage so be careful."

"You do remember who you're talking to, don't you?" Kira knew her tone would give away her smile. If she could trick a bunch of terrorists into thinking she was a man for an entire year and kill ten of those terrorists after they discovered her gender, she could survive a simple rescue mission. She would be lying, however, if she claimed to be eager to see her former friends. Nearly twenty years had passed since she left the Black Dragon, yet she still knew them like the back of her hand.

"Just be careful." Kabal made no attempt to hide his exasperation."Oh and Briggs and Cage wanted me to tell you to make sure General Blade doesn't do anything stupid."

"I'm right here, you know." Sonya snapped from her position beside the redhead.

Kira rolled her eyes."Will do. Good luck, Kabal."

"Same to you, Kira." With that he ended the conversation and Kira put the walkie talkie away."Come on." She said to Sonya."The torture room's not far."

" **Torture room**?" Sonya half-whispered, half-screamed. Her eyes glinted with fury at the mere idea of her daughter being tortured.

Kira sighed. She knew the general would react this way, and that her emotions would pose a risk to their mission. But at the same time, she understood Sonya's anger. She didn't have to be a mother to understand how having one's child kidnapped and tortured by a former ally **and** an arch nemesis would affect one's mental state, which was why she had objected to Sonya accompanying her, only to be ignored.

"There are a few cells in the basement where prisoners are kept, but that's only if Kano is in a kind mood, which we both know he rarely is. The torture room is...well, the name says it all. Are you really that surprised though, General Blade? This is Kano we're talking about."

"I..." Sonya trailed off with a sigh. The anger on her face was now replaced with shame. She blamed herself for this, which would make things even more difficult for them.

Kira's features softened with pity."Listen," She said firmly,"I understand why you don't trust me. I **was** a Black Dragon and worked alongside Kano for six years, three of which I served as his second-in-command after Kabal left. If I was in your position, I'd be upset and distrustful too."

"Why **are** you on our side?" Sonya asked, genuinely curious."Heck, why did you leave the Black Dragon in the first place?"

"Let's just say Kano did something even I couldn't condone. I betrayed the Black Dragon and went into hiding to keep myself from getting killed by them as payback. As for why I'm on your side, all I'm willing to say is that I owe Kabal a lot. Now can we stop wasting time and keep moving?" Sonya nodded in response."Good. Let's go."

A wave of sadness touched Kira as she spoke of Kabal. Her mentor was the one person to see her as more than a pretty face or an attractive backside. He recognized her intelligence and strength and didn't judge her based on her gender. As far as he was concerned, any woman who could do business with terrorists and take out ten men all by herself was worthy of his respect. Not even Kobra had...

No. She would not think of Kobra. He was in the past, and if there was one thing Kira hated, it was thinking about the past. She could not change the trauma she'd endured during her childhood, could not change the things she'd done for the Black Dragon, could not change the way she'd treated Kabal when he quit...she had to live in the present, not linger in the past. It was a waste of time and energy, especially when there were more important things to worry about right now.

Kira would be lying if she denied being shocked when Kabal, now a disfigured, undead shell of his former self, tracked her down and asked for her help. He had allowed her to see and touch his face. Kano had mentioned that the damage from Kintaro's attack was severe, but she could not have possibly imagined how severe it truly was.

 _Come with me._

Those were the words Kabal said to Kira before he left. Those were the words Kira said to Kobra before she left as well. And they both received the same reply:

 _You're an idiot if you think I'd go with you._

In truth, Kira was not sure how to describe her relationships with Kabal and Kobra. She had been close to both of them, but did not fully understand her feelings toward either of them. She remembered being angry at Kabal for leaving and spending days thinking about how stupid he'd been to do so. When Kobra refused to go with her, she was angry and perhaps even a little sad, but not surprised. She felt no grief upon learning of his death nor did she feel any resentment toward Erron Black upon discovering him to be to Kobra's killer. She had grieved for Kabal, but not Kobra. Kobra had gotten what he deserved. Kabal, on the other hand, deserved a better fate.

"Stop." Sonya's hand touched her shoulder."Did you hear that?"

Kira opened her mouth to ask what her companion was talking about, but froze when two familiar voices, along with a third voice she did not recognize, reached her ears. She spotted an opening nearby and realized that was where the voices were coming from. As quietly as possible, she and Sonya crawled toward the opening and listened. Twenty years or not, Kira had no difficulty recognizing Tasia and Tremor.

"The boy will be dead soon." Tasia stated.

Tremor chuckled."Are you truly surprised, Tasia?" It was a rhetorical question."He is not his father. The girl, on the other, she has too much of her mother in her to die."

"If I didn't know any better," A third voice said,", I'd say Kano Jr. has a crush on her."

"Your observation powers never fail to amaze me, Jarek." Tremor said sarcastically, rolling his eyes."Kano has not commented on the matter, but I believe he is aware of his son's feelings for Miss Cage."

"Son?" Sonya blurted out, though most of it was muffled by Kira slamming a hand against the general's mouth to silence her.

"Did you hear something?" Jarek looked around, frowning.

"I did not hear anything." Tremor replied, although he was clearly concerned by Jarek's question.

"Neither did I." Tasia added."Maybe you just have Cassie and Kano Jr.'s screams stuck in her head."

"Probably." Jarek agreed."The boy is actually pretty quiet, though. The girl is a different story. You'd have to be deaf not to hear her screams, especially when Raiden zapped her."

Kira tightened her grip on Sonya's mouth as the blonde let out a muffled growl. If Sonya did not keep it down, she would get them caught and while Kira did not doubt that they could easily take down Tasia, Tremor, and this Jarek person, she preferred that stealth be maintained.

"According to Kano, she got what she deserved." Tremor said."Had she not been so disrespectful to the Thunder God, he would not have electrocuted her. Or the boy for that matter."

"Kano laughed for a good half-hour after Raiden revealed the girl threw herself at Raiden's feet and begged him to let the boy live." Tasia said.

Jarek snorted."Can you blame him?"

"No." Tasia smirked."I actually wish I was there to see it."

Jarek laughed."So do I. Cassie Cage throwing herself at Raiden's feet and begging him to spare a boy she barely knows. That's one for the history books." The three shared loud, cruel laughter and exited the room. Kira slowly removed her hand from Sonya's mouth and heaved a sigh of relief. That had been **too** close.

"Since when does Kano have a son?" Sonya voiced the question running through both of their minds.

"I don't know." Kira replied. Could he have been conceived...no. She shook her head. That was impossible. This boy could not be..."But I do know we have to get him out of here."

Sonya raised an eyebrow."And what if he's just like his father? Are you willing to take that risk?"

"You obviously weren't paying attention to the conversation, general." Kira answered."He is being tortured alongside your daughter and will die if we leave him here. And based on what we heard about your daughter begging Raiden to let the boy live, I think it's safe to say she won't leave this place unless we take him with us."

Sonya shook her head."Whatever. Let's find Cassie first, **then** we'll talk about Kano Jr."

There was no time to argue, so Kira nodded and began crawling through the vents again. Within five minutes, they heard laughter and instantly knew who it belonged to: Kano. Kira spotted an opening and heard Sonya's breath quicken as they neared it.

"How are ya feeling, baby girl?" Kano asked, standing over Cassie's shaking form.

"S-Screw you, creep." Cassie stuttered in between whimpers of pain.

Kano snarled and stomped on her hand with all his strength, breaking it with a sickening crack. Cassie let out a bloodcurdling scream. Sonya's eyes widened in horror and rage and Kira couldn't help but wonder when this ticking time bomb of a woman would finally explode.

The sound of chains rattling caused Kano to laugh."Well, would ya look at that? Seems my boy's got a crush on you, baby girl."

Tears were running down Cassie's face as she said,"Scumbags like you shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. Kevin doesn't deserve a monster like you for a father." Kano kicked her in the stomach, making her gasp as the wind was knocked out of her, and stomped out of the room like a petulant child. Cassie waited until the door slammed shut before crawling toward the wall where the sound of chains rattling began anew."I'm okay, Kevin." She mumbled."I'm okay..."

Kira exchanged nods with Sonya before opening the hatch and jumping through it. She landed on her feet, hearing the chains rattle again as Sonya landed beside her. They turned to see a young man around nineteen to twenty years old sitting on the floor and bound with chains hanging from the ceiling. An unconscious Cassie lay next to him. His eyes widened at the sight of them and he moved an arm to shield Cassie from their view.

Kira stared at the boy, at his dark brown hair that was so much like Kano's, at his eyes that resembled Kano's but were darker in color, at the fear in those eyes...the fear in his expression along with the various cuts, bruises, and burns all over his body made him look so much like-

"Oh my god." Sonya whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. There was not a hint of distrust within her toward the boy anymore. All it took was one look at him for her to realize that he was as much a victim as Cassie.

Raising her hands in a gesture of peace, Kira stepped forward and smiled at the boy."It's okay. We're not here to hurt you or Cassie." She pointed at Sonya."This is her mother."

Kevin, as Cassie called him, glanced at Sonya to test the sincerity of Kira's statement. It did not take him long to notice the family resemblence and he nodded his head to convey his belief in her claim of parenthood. Sonya approached her daughter's unconscious body and gasped. Kira knelt beside her, feeling herself grow sick at the girl's battered and bloody state. Cassie's right eye was swollen shut, her nose was broken, her hair was covered in dirt and blood, and her blue catsuit was torn to shreds, doing nothing to conceal the cuts, bruises, and burns marring her skin. The bruising on her side suggested she was suffering from cracked ribs and her newly broken hand was badly bruised as well.

"Cass." Sonya whispered, touching her daughter's shoulder."Wake up."

Cassie's one eye that wasn't swollen shut fluttered open."M-Mom?" She murmured.

"It's me, Cass." Sonya nodded, smiling tearfully."We're going to get you out of here."

"K-Kevin." Cassie tried to point in the boy's direction.'You have to-"

"We will." Kira promised."We're getting **both** of you out of here. You have my word."

Cassie gave Kevin a smile."I told ya my parents would find a way to rescue me." The boy smiled back at her.

Kira quickly freed Kevin from his shackles and helped him to his feet, supporting his weight with her own while Sonya did the same for Cassie.

Sonya looked at the ceiling and shook her head."There's no way we can get back up there. It's too high."

"I know." Kira answered. She knew this place like the back of her hand."There's another air vent opening in a wall down the hall. If we're quick, quiet, and careful we should be able to reach it without getting caught."

As soon as they stepped into the hall, however, a whistle caused them to freeze in their tracks. They turned to see none other than Kano standing a few feet away from them with a smirk on his face."Going somewhere?" He asked. His non-mechanical eye widened when he saw Kira and he laughed harshly."Kira, is that you? Well ain't this one big family reunion!"

Kira pulled out her walkie talkie and started shouting into it."Kabal, we got the girl but we've been caught. We need an evac right now!" No response."Kabal? Kabal, answer me!" Still no response."Damn it!" She exclaimed.

Kano smirked."Kabal's probably too busy getting his ass handed to him by Raiden to answer your call, Kira. But maybe you should leave a message. I'm sure he'll get it eventually."

"You son of a bitch!" Sonya screamed."You're gonna pay for what you did to my daughter. I swear to God I won't let you live this time-"

"No." Kira said."Get a head start. I'll deal with Kano and catch up with you afterwards."

"Like hell-"

"What's more important to you? Revenge or your daughter's life?" Kira demanded. That seemed to knock some sense into Sonya, for her eyes widened before she nodded and did as Kira said. Kano rushed to stop her, but Kira blew a kiss containing purple mist to temporarily blind him. She then kicked him to the floor as Sonya fled with Cassie. Kira helped Kevin sit against the wall and turned to Kano as he recovered from her attack.

"You've got a lotta nerve showing up after what ya did." Kano growled.

"What kind of a man tortures his own son?" Kira questioned."If anything, you're the one who's got a lot of nerve doing this to him after what you did to his mother."

Kano smirked."I didn't know the bitch was pregnant until Raiden told me. Too bad she's dead, 'cause I would've loved to tap that ass again while she screamed like a banshee." He gestured to Kevin."He's definitely a mama's boy given how he balled like a little baby when I first started teaching him."

"Is that what you call the hell you put him through?" Kira hissed."Teaching? You can torture him all you want and maybe even kill him, but you can't force him to become a psychopath. Do you even care that he's your flesh and blood-"'

"Jeez, and I thought Scorpion was annoying with all his blabbering about how I oughta treat my own kid." Kano rolled his eyes."Kid's a weakling. He ain't worth keeping alive. I shouldn't have recruited him in the first place."

"You didn't **recruit** him, you **kidnapped** him!" Kira snapped."Just like how you kidnapped his-ah!" Her words turned into a scream as Kano grabbed her and kneed her twice in the stomach before kicking her into the wall.

"Ya best shut your mouth, love." Kano said."Unless you wanna end up like junior's mother, that is. And no, before ya ask, I didn't kill her. She's been dead for almost a decade. Some kinda accident I think."

Kira's leg shot out and kicked Kano's legs out, knocking him down. She stood up and started to run, but fell when he grabbed her ankle and yanked her to the floor beside him. As she fell, she drew a dagger and plunged it into his shoulder. He screamed and released her, removing the knife from his shoulder and tossing it aside. She quickly retrieved the weapon and tackled Kano, knocking him out with an elbow to the face. After making sure the coast was clear, she grabbed Kevin and they hurried to catch up with Sonya and Cassie.

Kira tried to contact Kabal again, to no avail. No matter how many times she yelled his name, there was no response, and that worried her more than she wanted to admit.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - This is Kano were talking about. The word 'humanity' isn't a part of his very limited vocabulary._

 _Jaxjaxle - I'd be lying if I disagreed with you on that._

 _Pyromania101 - Good point. I still hate him for it, though. Lol._

 _Next up: Chapter 24:Fujin II_


	25. Chapter 24:Fujin II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"We had been friends. We could not become strangers. It left only one thing: we must be enemies."  
— John Christopher (The Prince in Waiting (The Sword of the Spirits, #1))

 **Chapter 24:Fujin II**

* * *

"He is here."

The words were delivered bluntly and stoically, a sharp contrast to how Fujin felt inside. The rain pouring down on him seemed to reflect his desire to shed tears of dread and sorrow at his current plight.

The Wind God stood at the entrance to the Sky Temple with Liu Kang and Kung Lao on either side of him. The rest of the revenants along with Kung Jin, Jacqui Briggs, Jax, Rain, and Ashrah stood behind them. Kotal Kahn and Bo' Rai Cho had insisted on coming, but Fujin told them to focus on preparing for the tournament. Seeing as he was still recovering from his injuries, Johnny Cage agreed to escort Vera Briggs to a safe house in case Raiden targeted her next, much to Jax and Jacqui's gratitude. Sareena also stayed behind to observe the destruction of Triborg's body and watch over her Lin Kuei comrades.

Kabal came to stand beside Liu Kang, holding up his walkie talkie and nodding."They're in." He stated.

"Good." Fujin said before Liu Kang could reply."We only need to distract Raiden long enough for them to find Cassandra."

The doors swung open as Raiden stepped out. Hanzo Hasashi and his fellow Shirai Ryu revealed themselves from their hiding places, surrounding their opponents. With the exception of Fujin, everyone got into their fighting stances. The Wind God and Thunder God approached one another with slow, heavy steps until they stood directly in front of each other.

"Why are you here, Fujin?" Raiden asked.

Fujin raised his chin."It is not too late to put an end to this madness, Raiden. Please, I do not wish for us to be enemies."

Raiden's eyebrows rose."Madness?" He chuckled and shook his head."Why can you not understand, Fujin? I am merely trying to protect Earthrealm!"

"By maiming and murdering innocents? Sub-Zero lies in a coma while Frost and her fellow survivors are fortunate to be alive. Some of them were children no more than thirteen or fourteen years of age! Cassandra Cage is a hero! She defeated Shinnok, yet you reward her valor by taking her hostage? You are not protecting Earthrealm, Raiden, you are further endangering it! You are no better than Shinnok and Shao Kahn!"

Raiden took a step back, eyes wide."Do not compare me to those madmen! They cared only for themselves whereas I have always had Earthrealm's best interests at heart!"

"Terrorism is not the answer, Raiden!" Fujin yelled."Neither is kidnapping or murder! Do you not understand the atrocities you have committed? You swore to keep Earthrealm safe at all costs, only to become a threat to its safety!"

Raiden waved his hand at his former allies."You are all against me then? So be it. I **will** keep Earthrealm safe, even if I must kill every single one of you to do so."

"Then the Raiden I knew is truly dead!" Fujin spat, remembering his conversation with Nightwolf.

 _Because the Raiden I knew and the Raiden committing all these atrocities are two different people. There is no hope for him. He must be destroyed._

"Enough talk." Raiden said, turning to Hanzo."Kill them."

The former spectre shook his head."No."

"You dare-"

"Threatening my protege only guarenteed my defection." Hanzo said coldly."The Shirai Ryu are no longer your puppets."

"Puppets?" Raiden raised an eyebrow."Tell me, Hanzo Hasashi, are you aware of who **their** puppet is?" He smiled at Hanzo's confused visage."Would you like to tell him what or rather **who** your secret weapon against me is, Fujin?"

"What is he talking about?" Hanzo demanded.

Fujin opened a portal which Quan Chi stepped out of. Hanzo's eyes widened in shock and anger. Before he could start yelling, Fujin explained,"The Elder Gods have resurrected and brainwashed him to kill Raiden. He follows our commands now."

Liu Kang grimaced."Believe me, Scorpion." His tone was **almost** sympathetic."We are as displeased by this as you are."

"I see." Hanzo sighed, giving Raiden a death glare."I would prefer to work with the undead, brainwashed sorcerer than a mad god lusting for power."

Raiden scoffed."No matter, I have other allies besides you." As if on cue, a portal opened and four familiar faces stepped out of it: Tanya, D'Vorah, Nitara, and Hotaru."Leaving the Netherrealm unattended was a mistake." He said to the revenants then turned to Jacqui and Jax."Special Forces also requires a better security system for their prison facilities."

"Why ally with Raiden, Tanya?" Rain asked."He cannot free Edenia if he merges all the realms."

Tanya smirked and put a hand on her hip."I prefer to stay on the winning side and be in the good graces of the victor."

"Dare I inquire as to **your** reasons for being here, D'Vorah?" Kitana asked dryly.

D'Vorah laughed."This One seeks a power greater than that of Kotal Kahn and Shinnok combined." She scowled at Tanya."Even if it means we must ally with this pompous Edenian."

Nitara pointed at Ashrah."That blade is not yours to wield, demoness. It exists to slay my kind. The last to wield it was Kahil Grigesh, a fellow vampire brainwashed by Datusha into killing his own kind. He committed hara-kiri and left the blade in the Netherrealm, where it should have stayed for eternity."

"You lie!" Ashrah yelled.

"Naive fool!" Nitara snarled."I will enjoy killing you and disposing of that blade."

Fujin glowered at the vampiress."I am surprised to see you on Raiden's side, Nitara. Is your goal not to free your realm from Outworld's control rather than allow it to remain merged with Outworld?"

Nitara spat a ball of blood that he easily avoided by stepping to the side."I do what I must to protect my race."

While Fujin was somewhat surprised by the first three of Raiden's new allies, he did not feel the slightest bit shocked by Hotaru's presence."I must say I **was** expecting **you** to ally with Raiden, Hotaru."

Hotaru sneered."I am a defender of order. It is because of me that Seido is safer than the other realms. Raiden sees things my way. Darrius has been a thorn in my side for far too long. Allying with Raiden will help me put an end to the Resistance." There was a flash of light as Seidan soldiers appeared on all sides, surrounding their foes.

"Fight!" The two deities shouted and the battle began as they charged at each other.

Fujin threw a punch that Raiden blocked. Liu Kang delivered a flying kick, knocking the Thunder God back. Kung Lao grabbed Raiden, laid him across his knee, punched him several times in the face, elbowed him in the stomach, and sent him flying into the wall with a knee to the head. Raiden attempted to strike Kung Lao with a lighting-charged fist, but Quan Chi intervened by passing his leg through a portal to kick Raiden from behind.

Liu Kang stepped forward, pointing at Raiden."Do you wish to know what I believe? I believe there is a part of you that still cares for us and blames yourself for our fates, especially **my** fate."

Kung Lao added,"That is why you fled when we arrived to aid the Edenian Resistence. You cannot stand the thought of-"

"Shut up!" Raiden screamed, furiously electrocuting the two whom he had once considered sons. Quan Chi fired a green flaming skull at the deity, breaking his concentration before he could severely injure either of the monks.

Suddenly, Kabal's walkie talkie came to life with Kira's frantic voice yelling that they had rescued Cassie but were caught and needed an evac right now. Raiden sent a bolt of lightning to knock the device out of Kabal's hand and destroy it. Kitana started to open a portal, but Raiden launched another lightning bolt at her. She screamed and fell to the floor. Tanya formed a fireball in her hand to throw at the princess, but was stopped by Rain launching a blue lightning bolt at her from behind. Kitana then used her fans to make Tanya levitate helplessly in the air, allowing Sindel grab the traitor with her hair and toss her aside.

Ashrah and Nitara were locked in battle. Nitara was spitting blood balls at the demoness, who struggled to dodge them while throwing balls of white energy at the vampiress and trying to stab her with her Kriss. Ashara eventually managed to slash Nitara's arm, making her scream in pain. Nitara retaliated by catching Ashrah in a headlock and sinking her fangs into her neck. Ashrah's scream caught Kung Jin's attention. The archer shot an arrow into Nitara's shoulder, causing her to stagger back and release Ashrah. Kung Jin helped Ashrah to her feet and they charged at Nitara together.

Jacqui fought with D'Vorah. It seemed to be an even match with D'Vorah's skills and the Briggs girl's strength. Jax and Hanzo engaged Hotaru whilst Nightwolf, Enenra, Stryker, Kabal, and Hanzo's men dealt with the Seidan soldiers.

Raiden flew at Fujin and pushed him against the wall. He caught his fellow deity in a chokehold and raised a hand to electrocute him, but was struck in the back with a fireball by Liu Kang and released Fujin, who quickly swept Raiden off his feet. Liu Kang stomped on Raiden's stomach, evoking a cry of pain from the Thunder God, and attempted to bring his foot down on him. Raiden blocked the attack and threw Liu Kang off balance, teleporting and reappearing behind him. Before he could attack, Nitara was knocked into him.

Kung Jin and Ashrah charged at Raiden, the former nocking an arrow as he did so. With a growl, Raiden lunged at Kung Jin, lifting him off his feet in a chokehold and knocking Ashrah away with a vicious backhand. A trio of Seidan soldiers moved to kill the demoness, but one was shot down by Stryker while Ashrah recovered in time to take out the other two. Nitara's blood ball hit Ashrah right in the face, stunning her long enough for the vampire to tackle her. Raising a hand, Raiden electrocuted Kung Jin without mercy. The archer cried out in agony.

" **Let him** **go**!" Kung Lao snarled, throwing his hat at the deity. Raiden released Kung Jin with a grunt as the hat sliced into his shouder before flying back to its owner. Quan Chi moved to attack the Thunder God, but a gesture from Fujin stopped him. The Wind God was preparing to spin like a tornado when there was a sudden flash of light and a voice cried out.

"Stop!" A portal opened and four familiar faces stepped out of it. A dark-skinned woman with glowing blue eyes, long dark hair styled into a braid, and clad in a green gown and matching cloak was the first to appear, followed by Kenshi and Takeda, who were supporting the weight of a half-conscious, pale-looking Taven between them.

Her face belonged to one woman, but her voice belonged to another. Both Fujin and Kitana's eyes widened in recognition and the names they spoke could not be any more different.

"Delia?"

"Jade?"

* * *

 _Boom, Cliffhanger! Wow I am really evil, aren't I? Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - No comment._

 _madmaxHojo36 - Everyone gets more than one chapter. Think of it like sorta how the Game of Thrones books work. And don't worry all your favorite characters will get chapters soon enough. Look below to see one of the characters on your list._

 _Lightrunner - I responded to your review in a PM. Let me know if you didn't get it again_.

 _Airnaruto45 - He really should have._

 _BrutusSilentium - Thank you very much._

 _Next up: Chapter 25:Kenshi_


	26. Chapter 25:Kenshi

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Many parents make mistakes with their children, thinking they know what's best for them."  
— Paulo Coelho

 **Chapter 25:Kenshi**

* * *

5 Years Ago:

Kenshi didn't need sight to know Takeda was glaring at him.

Father and son sat across from each other, the latter keeping one eye on the cup of tea in his hands and another on his father. After informing his son of his intentions for them to avenge Suchin's murder together, the blind swordsman felt relief when Takeda seemed to accept the idea. That relief vanished when the boy punched him in the face with enough force to knock him to the floor. Hanzo had yelled at Takeda in shock and outrage, but the younger man could not care less. Kenshi knew his son had wanted to hurt him for a long time, and didn't blame him. He deserved the beating, the blow to the face, and the boy's anger.

Hanzo eventually started **begging** Takeda to give his father a chance, or at least speak with him in private for a few minutes. It was only out of respect for his adoptive father that Takeda agreed. Words could not describe how grateful Kenshi was for Hanzo's intervention. Takeda definitely got his ability to knock someone down with a single blow from his mother. Lovely and kind as she was, Suchin did not take betrayal lightly. Kenshi had been on the receiving end of a punch from her before he left her, leaving him with a bruised chin afterwards.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me." Kenshi broke the silence with a forced smile.

"I didn't agree to this for **you**." Takeda hissed."I did it because Master Hasashi asked me to and-"

"Because it's what your mother would have wanted you to do?" Kenshi asked."She would be very proud of you, son."

"Don't you talk about my mother!" Takeda snapped, slamming his cup against the table without a care for the tea that spilled everywhere as a result."And don't call me son! I may have your blood running through my veins, but that doesn't make me your son! A **real** father wouldn't abandon his terrified eight-year-old son after his mother died and leave him to be raised by a former revenant!" Takeda laughed, the sound cold and bitter."Then again, Master Hasashi is more of a father to me than you ever will be!"

Kenshi could feel the tears soaking through his blindfold. This was his punishment, he realized, for failing to be there for Takeda, for hiding the truth from Takeda, for leaving Takeda when he needed him most, for not being able to save Suchin. He had failed both his lover and son. Hanzo did not share blood with Takeda, but he was the boy's true father and whether he admitted it or not, Takeda was Hanzo's son in everything but blood.

Not caring for his father's emotional agony, Takeda continued his rant."Master Hasahsi didn't abandon me or make me feel unwanted! He was always there when I needed him and reminded me that there was someone in my life who actually cared about me!"

"I do care-"

"Bullshit!" Takeda was screaming now."If you cared, you wouldn't have left my mother, you wouldn't have lied to me about what happened to her, you wouldn't have abandoned me when I needed you most!" His voice cracked as he swallowed down a sob."Why did you leave us? And don't say that it was because you wanted to protect us, I want the truth. Wasn't mom good enough for you to stay? Wasn't **I** good enough for you to stay? What did we ever do...to make you hate us enough to leave?"

Kenshi's breath quickened."Takeda-"

"Was I too much of a burden?" His son's voice lowered to a whisper."I spent so many years hating you, but I hated myself just as much. I kept on wondering what was so wrong with my mother or me that made you abandon us..."

Elder Gods please strike him down. Dying was preferable to hearing and feeling his son's sorrow and rage, to the knowledge that this was **his** fault. He shouldn't have left Suchin or Takeda. They had needed him more than anything, yet he had abandoned them. He deserved his son's hatred, deserved beating, deserved a fist to the face, deserved a fate worse than death for what the agony he'd put his only child through over the last ten years.

"There was nothing wrong with you or your mother. You both deserved better-"

"You're damn right we did!" Hot tears ran down Takeda's face and he furiously tried to wipe them away."If there wasn't anything wrong with us, then why'd you leave? Why couldn't you stay with her? Why couldn't you stay with me? All I wanted was my parents! I had already lost my mother and later found out my father snuck out while I was asleep!"

It was then that Kenshi realized Takeda had never allowed himself to grieve for his mother's death. He'd kept everything bottled up for ten long years. His mother had died, his father had left him, his best friend had been brainwashed and massacred the clan, and he'd even lost his adoptive father for a brief time. Yes, he'd cried, but never did he fully let himself grieve for those losses and traumas until now. Seeing his father again had brought the memories back, brought the **pain** back...

Kenshi reached out, but Takeda slapped his hand away. Standing up, the blind man approached his son, knelt beside him, and pulled him into an embrace. His blindfold was soaked with tears, but he didn't care. Kenshi whispered into the boy's ear,"I am **so** sorry, my son. Please," He choked on a sob,", forgive me. Give me another chance. Let me atone for my mistakes..."

"Dad..." Takeda whispered in between sobs, sounding like his eight-year-old self again as he shook with sorrow.

Kenshi tightened his grip on his son."I promise I'll **never** leave you again."

* * *

Present:

"Dad, it's a-"

"Dragon. I know, son." Kenshi's ancestors had informed him of the identity of the creature in front of himself and Takeda. The blind swordsman had encountered many creatures in his travels over the years, but a dragon? No, not until today.

"I've never seen anything like it before." Takeda said then quickly realized his mistake."Oh! Uh, sorry dad."

Kenshi chuckled."Son, if I took offense to every pun, intentional or not, about my lack of sight, I would be a very sad man."

"Good point." His son replied.

"I am Caro." The dragon spoke, voice weak from exhaustion and pain."I have been a slave of Daegon and his Red Dragon Clan for many years."

"You are Daegon's guardian."' Kenshi said, remembering Fujin's explanation."You revived Daegon too soon and caused him to..." He trailed off, torn between pity for the dragon's enslavement and anger for the unintentional part it played in Suchin's murder.

"Takahashi Kenshi and Takahashi Takeda." Caro said."Daegon spoke of you both, particularly of your betrayal, Kenshi. Why have you returned?"

"We are searching for Daegon's brother, Taven." Kenshi replied."Fujin was informed by the Elder Gods that he was here."

"That is incorrect." Caro stated."Taven is not here. Daegon has been looking for him and Blaze for centuries, but has thankfully not found either of them. I know where Taven is, but Daegon is not aware of my knowledge. I had hoped Orin would receive the signal to awaken Taven so that he could come and free me of my imprisonment, so I waited for the time to come."

"We can help you-" Takeda started, only for Caro to interrupt.

"No. You cannot free me without alerting Daegon and his followers to your presence. I now understand why the Elder Gods sent you here: they know that I can send you to Taven so he can complete the quest."

Kenshi shook his head."The quest will be the least of his worries when he awakens, Caro."

"What do you mean?"

"You know Raiden, right?" Takeda asked.

"Of course. He is protector of Earthrealm, and a good friend."

"Yeah well, let's just say he's not the Raiden you knew anymore. We're here because we need Taven's help to stop Raiden from merging Outworld with Earthrealm."

"What? No, that does not make sense! Raiden has always fought against Shao Kahn to prevent the emperor from merging the realms. Why would **he** wish to merge them?"

"Much has happened over the years." Kenshi answered."While Taven and Daegon slept, Edenia lost ten Mortal Kombat tournaments and was conquered by Shao Kahn. King Jerrod was murdered by Shao Kahn while his wife Queen Sindel and daughter Princess Kitana were taken by the emperor as his own. Queen Sindel later committed suicide in order to prevent Earthrealm from suffering the same fate as Edenia. Centuries later, when Shang Tsung and Goro were defeated by Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat, the sorcerer convinced Shao Kahn to change the rules. A new tournament was formed where if Earthrealm won, Shao Kahn would abandon his claim to it forever. Shao Kahn murdered the descendent and namesake of the Great Kung Lao and was killed by Liu Kang, but Quan Chi restored him to life and convinced him to invade Earthrealm. Shao Kahn's wife, Queen Sindel, was resurrected and brainwashed into killing many of Earthrealm's defenders, including Kitana, who had turned against the emperor after discovering her true heritage. Shao Kahn was destroyed by Raiden and the Elder Gods for trying to merge the realms without victory in Mortal Kombat, but Liu Kang died in an accident at the hands of Raiden. Quan Chi resurrected the fallen warriors as revenants to serve him."

"That does not explain why Raiden seeks to merge the realms."

"Shinnok was freed from his imprisonment and invaded Earthrealm. Twice. He was defeated both times, but before his second defeat, he corrupted the Jinsei and Raiden nearly died purifying it. As a result, the Thunder God was corrupted and has committed several atrocities, including kidnapping and murder. He invaded Outworld and would have merged the realms without hesitation if not for Outworld's current ruler, Kotal Kahn, pleading with the Elder Gods to give his realm a chance to defend themselves."

"This is disturbing new." Caro sighed."Yet I suppose I should not be surprised. Daegon was once an honorable man, yet he fell from grace by murdering his parents and enslaving me. Raiden...it is difficult to picture him doing such horrible things. How far the mighty have fallen. I am partially to blame for Daegon's actions. I will send you to Taven's location so that you may free him and convey to him and Orin my regrets." The dragon opened a portal."Good luck."

"Thank you, Caro." Takeda said."We'll make sure Daegon gets what's coming to him."

Caro chuckled."I do not doubt that for a moment. Now go."

Kenshi and Takeda both nodded in gratitude before jumping into the portal. They both landed with a grunt, hitting the ground like rocks. Takeda gasped."Uh, Dad? I think we found Taven. And another dragon."

"Who are you?" This dragon's voice was different from Caro's and while its counterpart was red, this one was golden.

"Are you Orin?" Kenshi asked, standing up.

"Yes. How do you know my name? How did you find this place and why do you seek Taven? I have not yet received the signal from Blaze to revive him."

"We know." Takeda said."But we need him. Fujin sent us to find him and Caro helped us get here."

"I do not understand." Orin said, confused. Before either Takahashi could respond, a portal opened and a woman stepped out. She was the very picture of beauty with dark skin, long dark hair styled into a braid, and clad in a green dress and similarly colored cloak. Her eyes glowed blue like Kenshi's, though she was not blind.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance." The woman said.

"Delia?" Orin asked."Why do you look so-"

"Different?" She offered."Much has happened, Orin. These two speak the truth, they have come for Taven. The time has come to revive him."

"But what of the signal from Blaze?"

She shook her head."That is no longer important."

"Hold on a sec." Takeda pointed at the woman."You can't be Delia. Daegon killed her years ago. Fujin said so himself."

"What?" Orin gasped."Delia, what is he talking about?"

"It is true, Orin. Argus and I are both dead. As is the owner of this body. Her name is Jade. We have formed an alliance of sorts."

"If I recall correctly," Kenshi said,", Jade was among those who fell in battle during Shao Kahn's invasion. Quan Chi turned her into a revenant but she vanished shortly after Shinnok's first invasion."

"Until now, you mean." Takeda said.

"Quan Chi killed Jade when she became too rebellious." Delia said."I spent a long time in the Netherrealm trying to find a way to restore myself to life after Daegon killed me until I found Jade. I posessed and restored her to life. It was against her will at first, but we soon came to an agreement. We have spent the last twenty years rebuilding our strength and waiting for the right time to return."

"I take it you are aware of what Raiden has become then?"

"Yes, Kenshi, I am well aware of recent events. It is why I am here." She turned to the dragon."Orin, Raiden has gone mad. He is no longer the Raiden we once knew. He seeks to merge the realms and is more feared than Shao Kahn and Shinnok. As for Daegon, Caro revived him too soon. The purpose of the quest I mentioned was to determine Argus's successor as protector of Edenia and to prevent Armageddon. Shinnok told Daegon that Argus and I were secretly aiding Taven and in his rage he murdered us both in cold blood. He also enslaved Caro and formed the Red Dragon Clan to hunt down Taven and Blaze but has fortunately not found success in his search."

"I see." Orin said with a sigh."Very well." He addressed Kenshi."You and your son may awaken Taven."

"You have done well, Orin." Delia said kindly."It is because of you that Taven is safe. And I promise that Caro will be freed from his enslavement. It is not his fault Daegon went mad."

As Takeda moved to free Taven from his incubation, Delia approached Kenshi with her hands clasped behind her back."You have questions, swordsman?"

"If you and Jade have formed an alliance as you say, does that mean you share control of her body?"

"Yes. For the most part, I am the one in control but Jade can request control any time she wishes. It is her body, after all."

"Why would Jade agree to ally with you?"

"She wishes to free the revenants. Before Quan Chi killed her, she promised Kitana that she and the others would be free. We intend to honor that promise. Now onto my question, where are the revenants?"

"They are at the Sky Temple with Fujin and some of our other allies, distracting Raiden while Sonya Blade and Kira rescue his hostage: Cassandra Cage."

"Good. I will need them all together for the spell to work."

A groan followed by the sound of someone falling to the ground caught their attention and ended the conversation. A pale-looking Taven lay on the floor, panting heavily and only half-conscious. Takeda and Kenshi quickly moved to help him up, supporting his weight between them.

"Do not worry, Taven." Orin said."Your strength will return eventually."

"Orin?" Taven asked weakly."What...where...who..."

"You were encased in stone and are in Earthrealm." Orin explained."It was necessary for your protection."

Delia approached the trio and laid a hand on her son's shoulder."All will be explained soon enough, my son."

"Mother?" Taven's eyes widened."Why...you aren't..."

"It is a long story." She said."I promise you will understand what is happening after I take care of some things." She then addressed Kenshi and Takeda."Come. We have much work to do."

Delia opened a portal and gave Orin a final nod of farewell before leaving with the Takahashi duo and demigod following closely behind.

* * *

 _Seeing as I wrote this chapter simultaneously with the last one, it made for a quicker and hopefully satisfactory update. As much as I adore Kenshi, it's very difficult to write from his point of view (key word **view** ) because well, he's blind! I tried to make it seem natural like all my other character POVs while keeping his blindness in mind and trying my best to paint a visual picture for the readers. I hope I did him and Takeda justice. Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _kingofswing - Erron will get in on the action soon enough. Don't you worry._

 _BrutusSilentium - I always worry that my fights aren't good and yeah they are a little cluster f but I'm relieved to see you think they're good._

 _madmaxHojo36 - Yes I did use her Mk9 ending as a matter of a fact and yeah it's no shock that Hotaru would ally with Raiden but I'll go more in depth with D'Vorah, Tanya, and Nitara later. As for Kotal Kahn and Takeda, they'll get their chapters in a little while I promise. Just be patient with me. I also hope I did your favorite character justice._

 _Next up: Chapter 26:Kevin II_


	27. Chapter 26:Kevin II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"No one can pull anyone back from anywhere. You save yourself or you remain unsaved."― Alice Sebold, Lucky

 **Chapter 26:Kevin II**

* * *

"Any word from Kabal?"

"No. I keep trying to contact him, but he's not responding."

"Damn it!"

Cassie and Kevin exchanged a glance as they listened to the exchange between Kira and Sonya. They'd managed to reach the air vents without encountering anyone else, but it was clear the Black Dragon was aware of the intruders' presence and prisoners' escape by now. Injured and exhausted as they were, the two young adults' desperation to escape kept them awake and allowed them to keep moving, though they had to cling to their rescuers to help them do so.

 _What kind of a man tortures his own son? If anything, you're the one who's got a lot of nerve doing this to him after what you did to his mother._

 _I didn't know the bitch was pregnant until Raiden told me. Too bad she's dead, 'cause I would've loved to tap that ass again while she screamed like a banshee. He's definitely a mama's boy given how he balled like a little baby when I first started teaching him._

 _Is that what you call the hell you put him through? Teaching? You can torture him all you want and maybe even kill him, but you can't force him to become a psychopath. Do you even care that he's your flesh and blood-"_

 _Jeez, and I thought Scorpion was annoying with all his blabbering about how I oughta treat my own kid. Kid's a weakling. He ain't worth keeping alive. I shouldn't have recruited him in the first place._

 _You didn't **recruit** him, you **kidnapped** him! Just like how you kidnapped his-ah!_

 _Ya best shut your mouth, love. Unless you wanna end up like junior's mother, that is. And no, before ya ask, I didn't kill her. She's been dead for almost a decade. Some kinda accident I think._

His father's argument with Kira rang in his mind on an endless loop. Kira obviously knew his mother and was once a member of the Black Dragon Clan. Had she participated in and/or protested against her kidnapping and rape? Kevin was determined to find out.

The look on Kira's face when she looked into his eyes confirmed that she recognized him. He had his mother's eyes. If Kira knew his mother, she would be able to recognize the color of her eyes and realize Kevin was her son.

"Is there any way out of the building?" Sonya asked.

"Not in this direction, no." Kira answered over her shoulder."We'll have to fight our way through in order to reach the exit vent."

"And how we are supposed to do that?" Sonya demanded."Cassie and Kevin are in no condition to walk on their own, let alone fight!"

"I know!" Kira hissed then shut her eyes and lowered her voice to a whisper."I know..."

Suddenly, the building began to shake as if an earthquake had struck. The expressions on his three female companions' faces, however, confirmed that they knew this was no earthquake. The vent beneath them gave way and all four of them fell into the room below. If not for Sonya and Kira taking the brunt of the fall, Cassie and Kevin would have most likely snapped their necks. Looking up, they saw Kano, Tremor, Tasia, and Jarek standing a few feet away with smirks on their faces.

Tremor smiled at Kano."I told you they were nearby." Jarek and Tasia were both snickering in amusement and agreement.

Kano patted him on the back."I'll never doubt ya again, mate. What's say we continue our family reunion, eh? Ya shouldn't've gotten involved, Kira. Now you're gonna pay for betraying the Black Dragon."

Kira's lips twisted into a smirk."I've managed to avoid paying for my betrayal for nearly twenty years now." She stated coldly, drawing her daggers."And I will continue to do so."

Tasia scowled."We'll see about that, traitor."

Kano shook his head."Ya know, I can't figure out why you're so loyal to Kabal. I get that he recruited ya and all, but with the way ya jump at his beck and call all the time, ya seem to be more than just his pet pupil. Hell, maybe you were even his whore-"

"Shut up!" Kira used Kano's own move against him, curling into a ball and sending him crashing into the wall. Jarek rushed to his aid.

Before Tremor could use his powers to intervene, Sonya threw pink dust in his eyes to blind him long enough for her to wrap a garrote around him, pull down on his back, and delivered a reverse headbutt before finishing him off by throwing him to the floor and kicking him in the stomach. As he groaned in pain, she grabbed his arm and flung him at Kano.

Tasia lunged at Kira with her twin katanas drawn. Kira quickly blocked the blow with her daggers, knocked her opponent off balance, and tried to slash her eyes, but Tasia dodged the attack by sidestepping. She vanished in a cloud of smoke to reappear in front of Kevin. He crawled away as she advanced on him, smiling at his terrified visage.

She raised her swords to finish him off."Time to die, kid."

"No!" Kira tackled her former ally, knocking their weapons away. Tasia punched Kira in the face and kicked her off. Both women hurried to retrieve their weapons.

"You've gone soft, Kira." Tasia jeered."Kabal too. You were both loyal members of the Black Dragon Clan for years. Hell, I even thought of you as a sister. That is until you betrayed us. Kobra never forgave either of you."

"Kobra can rot in hell for all I care!" Kira spat.

Tasia chuckled."Isn't that what Kabal's been being doing for the past twenty-two years? You know, when he wasn't groveling before Quan Chi? Honestly though, I can understand what you saw in both of them. Too bad they rejected you."

"You know what I can't understand?"

"What?"

"Why Kano suggested I was a whore when that title clearly belongs to you."

"You're gonna pay for-"

"What? Speaking the truth?" Kira smiled, pleased she had managed to get under the other woman's skin."I earned my place here through bravery, intelligence, and skill while you just used your looks to your advantage. Did you know you're a screamer? Because if I had a dollar for every time I heard you scream while Kano fucked you, I'd be able to retire. I know Tremor isn't interested in intimacy, so he wouldn't sleep with anyone, let alone you, but what about that Jarek newbie? Do you let him use you like a plaything as well?"

Tasia let out a scream as she charged at Kira. Spinning out of the way of a swing aimed for her neck, Kira jumped up to deliver a rising knee to Tasia's face, followed by a hopping back kick which sent her into the wall. Sliding down the wall into sitting position with a moan of pain, Tasia dropped her swords. Little did Kira know, Jarek was sneaking up behind her. Quickly, he grabbed her in such a tight headlock that she fell to one knee whilst digging her nails into the skin of his arm to make him let go. He continued strangling her and started to approach Tasia.

Kevin didn't think, he just acted; lunging at Jarek, Kevin hit him as hard as possible in the back of the head. With a curse, Jarek released Kira, who gestured for Kevin to step aside then proceeded to send Jarek several feet back with a double handed push.

"Thanks, kid." She said to Kevin.

"Now if he'd only shown that much courage during our training sessions together." Kano remarked.

Kevin glared at the man he had the misfortune of calling his father. He remembered Cassie's words, how she'd encouraged him to get sweet revenge on this sick twisted monster of a man. Well, he would get it. He would lock this bastard up and inflict on him every form of torture he'd put him and Cassie through. Let **him** see how it felt to be tortured and treated like an animal.

Sonya sneered."You're not putting a hand on him or my daughter ever again."

"Ya can't kill me, baby. I'm a survivor. I'll always get the better of you."

"Who said anything about killing you?" She questioned."There are things worse than death that I can do to you."

"Your daughter's a perfect example of that." That remark caused Sonya to snarl and attack him.

Kevin felt a foot connect with his back, knocking him away. Kira was stopped from helping him by Jarek and Tasia each grabbing one of her arms and beginning to kick her repeatedly in the stomach, chest, and face. She jumped, performing a split in midair to kick the duo in the face and make them release her. She gave a chop to Jarek's shoulder and swept him off his feet. Tasia took advantage of her ex-friend's distracted state to pick up her katanas and lunge at her.

As this was happening, Kevin noticed Cassie on the floor while her mother fought with his father. He limped toward her, gently taking her by the arms and dragging her to a safe distance from the fighting where he let himself sit against the wall and squeezed her hand to keep her awake. She smiled weakly, sharing his hope that they would get out of here soon.

Kira turned around just in time to catch Tasia's wrists and prevent the blades from decapitating her, though they remained in the form of an X around her neck.

 _"_ The problem with you and Kabal, Kira," Tasia drawled,", is that you both **knew** what you were doing while you were with us, you **knew** you were killing and torturing innocent people, you **knew** you were doing awful things. You just didn't think about it because you didn't want the guilt to make you hesitate. It wasn't until you saw for yourselves the truth of our work, how other people suffered and died because of what we do, that you realized you'd been lying to yourselves the whole time. And that's the difference between the two of you and the rest of us; you see, we **knew** the whole time what we were doing and what the consequences of our actions might be, we **knew** other people paid the price because of us, we never lied to ourselves to make things easier and do you want to know why?"

When Kira only responded with a grunt, Tasia smiled and said, **"Because we just don't care**. That's the best thing about being a psychopath; we understand concepts like mercy, love and remorse, but we don't experience them as emotions. And that, my dear Kira, is why everything we do is **so damn easy**!"

Kira tightened her grip on Tasia's wrists and kicked her in the shin. Tasia yelped and Kira yanked Tasia's wrists upwards so they connected with her blades. Kevin's eyes widened in horror as Kira caused Tasia to accidentally cut off her own hands. The bloodcurdling scream Tasia let out was so loud it was a wonder no one went deaf. Kira knocked Tasia into the wall with a double handed push. The dark-haired woman was sobbing and hyperventilating in anger and agony as she gaped at the redhead.

Kira smirked."Well, I just amputated both of your hands with your own weapons, so maybe I haven't gone as soft as you think."

"Tasia!" Jarek cried, knocking Kira aside and rushing alongside Tremor to their ally's side to stop the bleeding as she lost consciousness.

"You're gonna pay for that, traitor!" Kano growled. Sonya kicked him in the head, knocking him to the floor and rendering him out cold.

A portal opened out of nowhere, sucking Kira, Cassie, Sonya, and Kevin inside. They landed on the hard ground. Kevin noticed several strangers around them, but the ones he paid the most attention to were multiple golden-eyed beings and a woman with glowing blue eyes.

Sonya gasped in recognition at the sight of the strange woman."Jade?" She whispered, though no one heard her over the sound of rain pouring down on them and thunder roaring above them.

The woman's eyes changed from glowing blue to normal green irises. With a yell, she slammed a fiery fist into the ground. Fire immediately consumed the golden-eyed beings as they screamed in agony. There was a flash of light. When the light cleared, the golden-eyed beings no longer looked dark and corrupt, but human.

"My god." Sonya gasped."She freed the revenants."

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 27:Sareena II_


	28. Chapter 27:Sareena II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Women always need other women to lean on. They become friends in order to hate each other better. The more they hate each other, the more inseparable they become."  
— Herta Müller (The Land of Green Plums)

 **Chapter 27:Sareena II**

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"I wish I had been there."

The words were accompanied by a sigh from Sareena as she looked at the comatose Sub-Zero on the bed a few feet away. She sat on Frost's bed, hands folded in her lap as the younger woman tried to eat with her left hand due to her right arm being broken. Sareena's words caused her to pause in her task and let out a sigh of her own.

"It's actually a good thing you weren't there." Frost replied."I'll never forget the look on Raiden's face as he threatened to finish me off. Half the clan died right in front of me. There were two Lin Kuei in particular, a boy and a girl, who tried to help me get Sub-Zero to the door. Jarek knocked me down and I watched Tasia cut them both down before they realized she was there. That boy and girl were Tai Xin and Tai Xia."

Sareena gasped. Tai Xin and Tai Xia were twins whose parents had fallen during Shinnok's second invasion while driving Kotal Kahn's forces back to Outworld. Rather than allow their grief to consume them, the twins were determined to honor their parents' memory by becoming Lin Kuei warriors like them. And they had been slaughtered like animals a little more than a week later.

Frost closed her eyes and wiped away the single tear that ran down her cheek."Tai Xin always looked up to Sub-Zero and talked about how he wanted to be as strong and wise as him when he grew up. Tai Xia, on the other hand, wanted to be like me. She even tried to get me to personally train her, but I told her I was still learning myself and would help her as much as possible. She called me _jiejie_ , the Chinese word for 'older sister'. Tell me, Sareena, what did I ever do to deserve to be the role model of a thirteen-year-old orphan?"

"You are one of the most powerful warriors in the clan, Frost." Sareena stated."Why would Tai Xia **not** wish to be as strong and powerful as you?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Why would it be a trick question?"

Frost rolled her eyes and scoffed."Oh, I don't know, maybe because I literally get ten lectures a day from the Grandmaster about how arrogant I am and the importance of learning humility."

"Everyone has a bit of arrogance within them." Sareena placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder."It is not as if you are the only member of the Lin Kuei who struggles with overconfidence."

"No, but I'm definitely the only one who gets so many lectures for it." Frost grumbled."I mean listen to me! I complain and grumble like a child! My conversations with Sub-Zero over the past five years have consisted solely of lectures, specifically regarding my behavior when he and Scorpion formed a truce between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu. A part of me wants to scream at him 'I told you so' for trusting Scorpion who is just as guilty as Raiden and Kano for our clan's condition while another part of me wants to beg for forgiveness for all the shit I've caused both before and after I joined the Lin Kuei. But it doesn't matter what I do because I'll never be able to change the past. I can't undo the things I did when I was in the deathmatch fight club, bring back the lives I took, or change the enjoyment I felt in taking those lives. I don't **deserve** to be forgiven for what I've done."

Sareena frowned. Frost was not the only one with regrets. For the first two years after Noob Saibot freed her from the Netherrealm and helped her regain her human form mere hours before Nightwolf knocked him into the Soulnado, she chose to hide. It was not until the end of Shinnok's first invasion that she decided to seek redemption. Sonya Blade did not trust her at first, but she managed to prove herself as an ally and friend to everyone, including Jax, Johhny, Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, Jin, and Sonya herself.

Several years went by until she met Kuai Liang, who was in the process of rebuilding his clan as a force of good rather than a clan of assassins. The tournament had just ended with Frost as the winner. Upon hearing of Sareena's past with his brother, he offered her part time membership within the Lin Kuei so she could split her time between aiding Special Forces and working with the clan. Yet with all the good she'd done for the past two decades, she could not undo or forget the bad she'd done during her service to Quan Chi.

The demoness couldn't help but ponder the differences between the Frost she'd met all those years ago and the Frost sitting beside her now. That Frost had been arrogant, eager to learn, and easily annoyed. This Frost was stronger, wiser, and...more humble dare she say?

"Frost." Sareena said, squeezing the cryomancer's shoulder."It seems you have finally learned humility."

Frost's eyes widened. She thought about it for a minute, then gave a bitter laugh."And it only took half the clan dying and the Grandmaster slipping into a coma for me to do so."

"Why **didn't** you take Raiden's offer? You have made it no secret how badly you desire to be in charge."

Frost sighed."I won't lie; it was a tempting offer. Shortly before Raiden's attack, I was having trouble sleeping because I couldn't stop thinking about the past and how I disagreed with our truce with the Shirai Ryu. I told myself that none of the consequences the Lin Kuei faced for our previous leaders' stupidity would have happened if **I** was in charge, but then I stopped myself. Yeah, I'm overconfident and tend to brag about how great I am, but even I can't deny that I've still got a lot left to learn. When Raiden offered me the Dragon Medallion in exchange for joining his forces, I thought about how many things I could do differently with that kind of power and knowledge before asking myself if I was ready for it...if I would **ever** be ready for it." She clenched her fist."Then I remembered my time at the deathmatch fight club, how arrogant I was in having killed so many people until Cassie Cage beat me and how disgusted I am with myself now. I wasn't a person to the audience in that club or the bastards running it; I was a source of entertainment, a killing and money machine...and I'd rather die than let myself turn into **that** again."

"I...understand the feeling." Sareena nodded."I have had my share of dark thoughts ever since I 'left' Quan Chi's service. But Frost, the fact that you and I overcame our dark thoughts and strived to become better, that is what separates us from the villains. Yes I am a demoness, but I have chosen not to follow the typical path of my kind and I was even able to inspire Ashrah, a fellow demoness, into taking a stand as well. I believe the same can be said for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Can you honestly tell me you are the only one of our fellow Lin Kuei who disagrees with the Grandmaster on certain topics?"

"Well no." Frost admitted."There are several others who tend to argue with him. But none of them turned against him during Raiden's attack. We all stood together to take down the Black Dragon and Shirai Ryu and would've won if Raiden hadn't come back and electrocuted us."

"And the reason why everyone stood together was because they followed your example. **You** , the one who is more at odds with Sub-Zero than anyone else, took a stand by refusing Raiden's offer and not giving into temptation. It is because of you that the clan remained united during that fight." She took Frost's hand in her own two hands and gave it a firm squeeze."I know Sub-Zero would be proud."

The female cryomancer narrowed her eyes."I've still done a lot of horrible things."

"And I have not?" Sareena retorted.

"There's a difference between you and me, Sareena; you didn't enjoy the things you did for Quan Chi like I did in the fight club."

"Do you still enjoy the things you did?"

"No, I don't."

"Then you should not sell yourself so short nor allow yourself to bask in overconfidence. You are better than that."

"I guess I've changed a lot for the better since I joined the Lin Kuei."

"Indeed. For example, you no longer speak in that ridiculous accent."

Frost scowled."Ridiculous, eh?" She asked, trying to make it sound like her old accent."I can go back to using that accent anytime I want, ya know."

"Please don't." Sareena groaned."It is more irritating than Johnny Cage's movies."

" **Nothing** is more irritating than Johnny Cage's movies." Frost shook her head."I can endure _Time Smashers_ and _Every Dog Has Its Day_ , but _Ninja Mime_ was just plain insulting! I know Lin Kuei aren't ninjas, but even I felt offended by that movie."

Sareena grimaced."I am still trying to understand why anyone would assume that combining ninjas and mimes was a good idea."

The two looked at each other for a minute before bursting into laughter. Frost quickly stopped, however, and grasped her chest."Ow, my ribs! Ow, ow, ow!" She leaned her head against the wall."I'm not gonna be able to laugh for awhile without feeling pain." She changed the subject."Is that Triborg thing destroyed?"

"It's body is, yes." Sareena shuddered at the memory of Triborg electrocuting her into unconsciousness."We have saved the data and if we do activate it again, there will be a failsafe to prevent it from attacking us a second time. I doubt we will activate it again, however. It is best not to take any more unnecessary risks."

"At least it wasn't aware of Sub-Zero's presence in the building. Otherwise, things would've gone far worse."

"Yes, I suppose so."

They fell into silence, allowing themselves to get lost in their thoughts. Sareena was especially worried about the success of the rescue mission for Cassie. Jacqui, Jin, and Takeda had expressed their guilt for leaving her behind in the Netherrealm as well as Cassie's own obvious guilt. They need not feel guilty; she did not regret letting herself get captured by the revenants so they could escape and would gladly do so again.

Suddenly, the walkie talkie on the table near Frost's bed burst to life with a familiar frantic voice speaking,"Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me?" Gunshots and yelling in the background made it difficult to hear what the person was saying, but Sareena recognized the speaker with ease.

Worried, Sareena grabbed the walkie talkie."Li Mei? What is it?"

"Kotal Kahn's palace is under attack!"

"By whom?!"

"The Red Dragon Clan and they are not alone."

"Who else is with them?" Sareena asked.

"Look out!" Erron Black's voice cried, followed by the sound of a crash and Li Mei yelping.

"Li Mei, can you hear me? Li Mei, Answer me!" Silence was the only answer she received.

A groan snapped both hers and Frost's attention from the walkie talkie to the bed a few feet away. As soon as they looked up, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped at what they saw.

Sub-Zero had awoken.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 28:Li Mei_


	29. Chapter 28:Li Mei

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy-all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but _you_ are the light inside."  
— Cassandra Clare (Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1))

 **Chapter 28:Li Mei**

* * *

Life had never been easy on Li Mei.

First, her village endured the tyranny of Shao Kahn followed by Mileena then she was forced to abandon Outworld and lead her people to Earthrealm for asylum when Mileena began using Shinnok's amulet as her not so secret weapon. She had been in the process of returning to Outworld when news of Raiden's insanity reached her. While she preferred to avoid confrontation nowadays, Li Mei was still an exceptional fighter. She was the only one of her people willing to take a stand so it was necessary that she learned how to fight. Her brief time with Bo' Rai Cho also taught her some new techniques which she did not hesitate to use to her advantage.

In the past, she'd been a very confrontational person and didn't think twice before throwing herself into battle. Oh, how she'd changed over the years. She was older, calmer, wiser, stronger, and more importantly a leader to her people. It was because of her that they escaped death at Mileena's hands, though few (including Li Mei herself) acknowledged this. Her main concern was the survival of her people, not glory. She had no parents, no siblings, no love interest, no children. Her people were the closest thing she ever had to family, and she would fight to the death to protect them.

She wasn't sure how to feel about recent events. She hadn't known Raiden long and thus didn't feel as horrified or betrayed by his corruption as his closest allies did. Once she'd seen him as a kind deity who seemed to genuinely care for mortals. Now she thought about his actions and realized that no one was safe from evil. Raiden had fought monsters like Shinnok and Shao Kahn only to become a monster himself. How bitterly ironic.

A scream escaped a Red Dragon soldier's lips as Li Mei used her Kunlun Dao to slice his arm clean off before Erron Black put a bullet in his head, permanently silencing him.

Li Mei sighed. This attack was unexpected and well-planned. She'd been separated from Bo' Rai Cho who, according to Black, was dealing with the thugs outside the palace alongside Ermac and Reptile. Black had arrived in time to save her from being killed by Daegon as she was contacting Sareena. The demigod did not give chase, but he was definitely nearby. Goro was in the throne room fighting Kotal, Sheeva, and the Shokan queen's five warriors.

"You leave Nice Red Lady alone, Bad Red Lady!" Ferra's shaky voice reached their ears from the infirmary down the hall. Black's eyes widened at the sound and he hurried to the infirmary with Li Mei following closely behind him. If she didn't know any better, she might have assumed the mercenary actually cared about the child.

"Get your hand off me, you bloodthirsty bitch!" Ruby hissed. Skarlet forced the Edenian to her knees by gripping a handful of her ash brown hair and pressing a blade to her throat. Ferra was being restrained by two Red Dragon soldiers while she glared at the construct with tearful eyes. Black pointed his gun at Skarlet's head while Li Mei tightly gripped her Kunlun Dao and formed a purple ball of energy in her free hand to throw at Skarlet as soon as her guard was down.

"Make one move and I kill this Edenian spitfire and order my men to slaughter the girl as well." Skarlet hissed at Black and Li Mei. They exchanged a glance, unsure if she would follow through with the threat.

"You lay one finger on that girl," Black said darkly,", and I'm gonna make you wish Mileena killed you back on Shang Tsung's Island." Perhaps he **did** care for the child, after all. Li Mei pursed her lips. Clearly, not all mercenaries were disgusting, heartless thugs like Kano.

"I see Ermac told you of our last meeting." Skarlet said."While the rest of you were distracted by the Blood Code situation, I managed to hide myself until the Red Dragon came to investigate the aftermath of Havik's failure and found me near death. Daegon promised to restore my legs like he did Goro's arms in exchange for me swearing loyalty to him."

"And you, like a desperate fool, accepted his offer." Li Mei said icily. She had as much dislike for Skarlet as she did for Mileena; both were selfish madwomen lusting for power without a care for how many innocents suffered because of their actions. Kotal Kahn, for all his mistakes, at least cared about his subjects and that was more than what could be said for his predecessors.

"Watch your tone, village slut!" Skarlet tightened her grip on Ruby's hair. She knelt down to make eye contact with the other red-clad woman and said with a chuckle,"You and I have much in common, Ruby. We both are fond of the color red, we both wear it as our primary color, and even our names are both shades of red."

Ruby spat in Skarlet's eye, causing her to gasp and release the Edenian. Li Mei threw her energy ball at Skarlet to knock her sword away. Ruby jumped up, wrapping her legs around Skarlet's arm and twisting her body so she could land on her hands and slam the red-haired Kunoichi headfirst into the floor.

"And that," Ruby spat as she rose,", is where our similarities end, Skarlet."

Black took out the men restraining Ferra with two swift shots. More quickly burst from their hiding places and began to corner Ferra, who was backing away toward Torr's bed.

"Get the hell away from her!" The cowboy yelled as the soldiers prevented him, Li Mei, and Ruby from reaching Ferra. Upon noticing that he was out of ammunition, he drew his Tarkatan arm blade and switched to his sword fighting style. He impaled a soldier through the abdomen. The soldier fell to his knees and Black stabbed him multiple times before decapitating him.

Li Mei thrust her foot into one man's stomach with enough force to lodge it in his innards. She removed her foot after a second and kicked his head, grimacing at it exploded and blood splattered everywhere. She turned to decapitate another man, shot a purple ball of energy at the next, and performed her Carnival Spin on her third attacker.

Ruby slid across the floor until she reached the wall. Rising, she ran to avoid a barrage of bullets and jumped, using the wall as leverage to launch her spinning body at a solider and pin him down. He gave a choked cry as she used her weight to crush his windpipe. She rolled away as another soldier moved to tackle her. She elbowed him in the back of the head and roundhouse kicked him so hard that his neck snapped. A chop to the neck evoked a wheeze from another soldier, but his pain didn't last long since Ruby leapt into the air to wrap her legs around his neck, balanced herself by slamming her hands against the floor, and tossed him into the wall.

As this was happening, Skarlet and three soldiers advanced on Ferra. Just as the construct was about to kill the girl, however, a vicious roar pierced everyone's ears.

Torr, as if sensing that Ferra was in danger, had awoken.

"Torr!" Ferra cried joyfully at the same time that Black exclaimed,"Holy shit, he's awake!"

No one was able to react as Torr grabbed Skarlet and roared in her face. Ferra hopped on Torr's back. Seeing as she wasn't wearing her gauntlets at the moment, she settled for slapping Skarlet across the face. The thugs screamed as Torr used his massive arm to knock them aside. Skarlet shrieked when the brute slammed her into the ground and threw her across the room.

Ruby moved to kill Skarlet, but the construct stabbed herself and turned into a puddle of blood so she could move underneath Ruby. Before the Edenian realized what was happening, blood pillars burst from the ground to stab her hands and legs. Skarlet appeared beneath her and moved to slash her stomach, only to be stopped when Li Mei fired a purple ball of energy at her. She staggered back, allowing Li Mei and Black to free Ruby. The Edenian landed on her feet, nodding in gratiude for their aid.

Growling, Skarlet threw a kunai at Li Mei. She ducked, frowning when she noticed the kunai had sliced off her ribbon, freeing her hair from its ponytail. Ferra/Torr moved to kill the redhead, but she rolled out of the way and fled.

"Coward!" Ruby snarled.

"Nice to see you awake, Torr." Black said, touching the brim of his head. Torr roared as if to thanking him for the sentiment. Ferra patted Torr's head affectionately.

"Can you handle a tougher fight?" When the brute nodded in response to the cowboy's question, he smiled beneath his mask."Alright then. Sheeva, Kotal, and a couple of other Shokan are dealin' with Goro and a bunch of Red Dragon goons in the throne room. Help 'em out and meet us outside. Got it?"

Ferra gave a mock solute."You no worry, Bang Bang. We squeeze, squish the meanies." The pair headed for the throne room.

Black looked at Li Mei and Ruby with a raised eyebrow."You two just gonna stand there or you gonna help me take out those goons?" He ran out the door without waiting for a response from either of them.

Li Mei and Ruby exchanged an uneasy glance, the latter shrugging. With a sigh, Li Mei nodded."Come. Hopefully, help will arrive soon."

"Key word **hopefully**." Ruby muttered with a sigh and shake of the head."Why is it that every time Rain leaves, we end up getting attacked?" She thought aloud as she and Li Mei followed after Black.

Sure enough, Ermac, Reptile, and Bo' Rai Cho were taking care of Red Dragon soldiers outside the palace. Skarlet was also there. As soon as she spotted Li Mei, Ruby, and Black, she threw a trio of kunai in their direction. All three kombatants rolled away to avoid the projectiles. Black muttered something about their foes being lucky he was out of ammunition and didn't have his rifle at the moment.

Skarlet slashed Li Mei's arm, evoking a cry of pain from the Outworlder. She laughed as Li Mei's blood sprayed on her face. This didn't last long, as Li Mei caught the redhead off guard with a punch to the face. A grumbling Black removed his poncho and wrapped it around Li Mei's arm to stop the bleeding. She raised an eyebrow at him, offering a tentative and confused 'thank you' for his aid. He touched the brim of his hat in response.

"Just bein' a gentleman." He said simply. She rolled her eyes, torn between thankfulness and irritation.

Ruby kicked Skarlet's legs out. Skarlet swept Ruby off her feet and pinned her down, trying to stab her with her tanto. Ruby moved her head away seconds before the blade impaled the spot where her head was a moment go and thrust her palm into Skarlet's chin and kicked her off. She completed the assault with a kick to the chest, knocking the construct down.

Li Mei lunged at a nearby Red Dragon thug, striking at his torso and head multiple times with incredible speed before stopping and taking a few steps back. She gestured for Black to wait, smiling at his perplexed expression. His perplexity tuned to shock when the soldier screamed in agony and exploded in a shower of gore.

"Well I'll be damned." Black remarked."Why couldn't women from my time period been as tough as today's ladies?"

"Did you assume that simply because I prefer not to fight that I am a damsel in distress?" Li Mei questioned with a smirk.

Before he could reply, a fireball knocked the Kunlun Dao and Tarkatan arm blade out of their hands. Standing a few feet away with the unconscious bodies of Bo' Rai Cho, Reptile, and Ermac around him was Daegon. He held a struggling Ruby in a headlock and was already forming another fireball in his free hand.

"So this is the Red Dragon leader." Black muttered."Guess Kano's not the only one with eye problems."

Daegon glowered at the mercenary."You will regret that remark-agh!" A purple lightning bolt struck him in the back, causing him to release Ruby, who knocked him down with a sweeping kick.

"For Elder Gods' sake, Rain." Ruby said in between coughs as she rubbed her throat and glared at the purple-clad demigod."What the **bloody hell** took you so long?!"

Rain rolled his eyes."Charming and pleasant as ever, Ruby." He offered her a hand up. She slapped his hand away and got up on her own.

A woman appeared beside Rain. Her long dark hair was styled into a braid and her eyes glowed blue. She wore a green gown and matching cloak with the hood pulled down. She remained a safe distance from Daegon in case he tried a surprise attack.

"Jade?" Ruby gasped, moving to touch the woman when Rain stopped her and shook his head at her confused expression.

"Daegon." The woman said to the fallen demigod.

Daegon's one good eye widened when he heard her voice."Mother." He scowled as he nodded at her."Found a mortal body to possess I see."

She formed a pair of fireballs in her palms."A mutually beneficial partnership. Jade wished to restore her revenant friends to life and I needed to put an end to yours and Raiden's madness in order to prevent Armageddon."

Daegon rose, drawing a pair of swords."My 'madness' is yours and father's doing! If you had not favored Taven-"

"You were always gullible, Daegon." She spat."Shinnok deceived you into thinking your father and I favored your brother just as Raiden is deceiving you now."

"Raiden is not-"

"Open your eye, Daegon!" She yelled, waving a hand at him."Raiden has no intention of allowing you to kill Kano once he has accomplished his goals. He promised Kano he would let him kill you, but has no intention of fulfilling that promise either! He is playing both of you for fools and you are letting him!"

"I do not believe a word from your lying mouth!" Daegon snarled, charging forward and crouching to ram her with his shoulder. She staggered back, spinning out of the way of his blades.

"That sword is not yours." She knocked one sword out of his hand with a fireball and used telekinesis to retrieve it.

"And that body is not yours." He hissed as both of them threw fireballs at each other. The force of their attacks making impact knocked them back, though they easily landed on their feet. Daegon looked up just in time for her palm to meet his face. She prepared to launch a fireball at him, but hesitated. Her brows knitted into a frown and the fireball in her hand vanished. Immediately, Daegon uppercut her into the air and jumped up to kick her in the chest. She landed on her back with a grunt.

"I remember your reaction when I decapitated father right in front of you." Daegon said, approaching her. He planted a foot on her throat and smirked."You looked so horrified and angry that you did not think twice before knocking me down, yet you hesitated to kill me just as you do now. That hesitation was and still is your undoing. Right before you died, you made eye contact with me and asked-"'

"Why?" She choked out, tears running down her face."Please, Daegon. You are still my son. I do not wish to kill you."

He shook his head."A pity, mother," He contemptuously spat the familial form of address and raised the sword over his head,", that I cannot say the same to you."

"Jade." She whispered as she closed her eyes."Take control." When her eyes opened, they were no longer glowing blue, but normal green irises. A forcefield surrounded her, causing the sword to pass through her without wounding or killing her. As Daegon gazed in shock, she launched a fireball to disarm him then kicked him in the back and sent him flying into several of his own men with a palm to the face.

"You will find that I do not share your mother's hesitation, **Lord** Daegon." Jade made no attempt to hide the contempt and sarcasm in her tone when she said the word 'Lord'."You may have the advantage of shared blood against Delia, Taven, or even Rain, but not me. To me, you are nothing more than a whiny child with a bigger ego than Rain. Therefore, I shall feel no remorse or reluctance while doing this!" She performed her Shadow Kick, followed by a fierce backhand that sent Daegon sprawling to the floor.

Li Mei and Black were stopped from intervening when Sheeva was flung at them from behind. The Shokan queen's upper arms were broken and her face a bloody mess. Kotal Kahn landed on his back beside Sheeva, groaning in agony and exhaustion. The same happened with Ferra/Torr seconds laters.

Goro gave a bark of laughter."You have truly let yourselves go since our last meeting. I had no trouble dispatching all of you while also taking the lives of Leshan, Nara, Duroc, Zenkaro, and Grum. Your five beloved champions fell like flies before the tournament could even begin, Sheeva. The irony of it all is as amusing as it is pathetic."

"Enough!" Raiden arrived, obviously vexed with the day's events.

Li Mei's eyes widened as she took in the Thunder God's new appearance. His once blue eyes were now red and his clothing consisted of dark colors that suited the darkness in his voice and actions. She noticed a now awake Bo' Rai Cho was looking sadly at Raiden and shaking his head at what his old friend had become.

"We will finish this conflict at the tournament." Was all Raiden said before teleporting himself, Daegon, Skarlet, Goro, and the remaining Red Dragon soldiers away.

* * *

 _Before a certain someone (looking at you, Pyromania101) says that I claimed I had no intention of including Skarlet in this story, I can honestly say I meant what I said at the time. But as the story progressed, I thought if Goro and Jax could survive losing their arms why couldn't Skarlet survive losing her legs? So for the sake of evening the odds a little by giving Raiden more allies, I decided to include her as well. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 29:Jade/Delia_


	30. Chapter 29:JadeDelia

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Broken souls are mended every day by mended souls that were once broken."  
— Krista Ritchie (Fuel the Fire (Calloway Sisters, #3; Addicted, #3.1))

 **Chapter 29:Jade/Delia**

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Jade's POV:

Jade sat at Kitana's bedside, holding her friend's hand.

Two hours ago, the souls of Kitana, Sindel, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Tomas Vrbada, Kurtis Stryker, Kabal, and Nightwolf had finally been freed from Quan Chi's corruption. She'd kept her promise, thanks to Delia. She tried to resist the sorceress's possession at first, but they were able to form an alliance. Delia would help Jade free the revenants while Jade would aid Delia in defeating Daegon. This alliance proved useful to both women today.

Sunlight poured into the room through the window; sunrise. Three days until the tournament. Three days to recover, three days to grieve, three days to train, three days to prepare for war. Tournament or not, so long as he lived, Raiden would not give up his plan to merge the realms. They needed to win the tournament and the war if they were to put an end to his madness.

Their armies needed to be ready for the upcoming battle. Kotal Kahn and Sheeva's soldiers and the Lin Kuei had practically been destroyed by Raiden and his lackeys. Including Rain and Ruby, there were 2,000 capable soldiers in the Edenian Resistence along with 600 Tarkatan soldiers who, despite Kitana's less than pleasant relationship with the late Mileena and Baraka, agreed to serve under the princess. Special Forces had its fair share of soldiers. The Shirai Ryu was also now on their side. Raiden's forces consisted of Hotaru's army, Nitara and her fellow vampires, the Red and Black Dragon Clans, D'Vorah, and...Tanya.

Jade's jaw clenched at the thought of the treacherous whore. She and Tanya never got along. Ruby, much to Jade's pleasure, spat on Tanya once when Shao Kahn wasn't looking. Rain witnessed this and was quite amused to say the least.

Although Jade despised both of the Edenian traitors, Rain seemed to be the lesser of the two evils. Yes he had betrayed the original resistance to Shao Kahn, but he'd also founded the new resistance, albeit for selfish reasons. Subtle as Rain was, his feelings for Kitana were no secret. Shao Kahn's false promise to grant Rain the princess's hand in marriage along with leadership of his own army ensured that the demigod would keep his word. Jade did not trust Rain one bit, but she did trust Ruby and according to Ruby, Rain was a decent leader when he wasn't basking in arrogance, so they could count on him as an ally. Better him than Tanya, Jade supposed.

Jade knew Tanya well enough to understand her version of a free Edenia; Tanya would proclaim herself queen and rule as a childish, idiotic, self-centered, repulsive tyrant. Rain would have done no better as ruler of Outworld but again, he was the lesser of the two evils at the moment and they could not afford to question their allies when there was an insane Thunder God to defeat.

A moan escaped Kitana's lips as she awoke, eyes fluttering open. The dark irises had returned, replacing the golden orbs of the last twenty-two years. Her eyes flickered across the room before landing on Jade, widening as soon as the two Edenians made eye contact.

Tears sprang to Kitana's eyes."J-Jade?" She stammered, voice barely above a whisper.

Jade smiled and squeezed her hand."I told you you'd be free, sister."

 _I am more of a sister to Kitana than you!_

Never could Jade forget how her blood boiled when Mileena referred to Kitana as her sister. The clone's only relation to Kitana was blood, not trust, love, or friendship. May her soul rot in hell where worthless pieces of savage trash like her belonged...

Kitana's body trembled as all the emotions she hadn't felt in so many years exploded and she let out a bloodcurdling sob. Jade pulled Kitana close, rubbing her back and stroking her head as she buried her face in Jade's shoulder, soaking her gown and cloak with tears.

"You...told...me...to...never...stop...fighting." Kitana choked out."I...stopped...fighting. We...all...stopped...fighting."

"Shhh, it's alright." Jade whispered in her ear."It's alright..."

 _You can kill me, but not hope. If I must become a martyr in order to inspire hope and rebellion within my fellow revenants, then so be it_

Jade had hoped her death would inspire the others to rebel, but it had the opposite effect. Her death had not inspired hope, only sorrow and obedience. Quan Chi received more loyal slaves than ever when he ended the main source of their rebellion.

"H-He said if I ever c-crossed him, he'd kill Liu Kang a-and my mother too." Kitana sobbed."I-I wanted to believe he was bluffing, but I...he..."

Of course Quan Chi threatened Kitana's other loved ones. Fear and cruelty was how he guaranteed their loyalty. Kitana had been so desperate to escape the pain and grief of her best friend's death that she learned to enjoy being a revenant. What else could she have done? What else could all of them had done? Quan Chi knew Jade was the heart of the revenants' rebellion and he'd wisely chosen to tear out that heart.

Kitana pulled away."H-How?" She asked, rubbing her eyes."How did you...?"

"Delia." Jade replied."She restored me to life and agreed to help me save you and the others in exchange for my aid in defeating Daegon. It took us a long time to rebuild our strength while we waited for the right time to return and fulfill our plan. I wish that time could have been sooner."

Jade frowned when Kitana started trying to get out of bed. Reaching out, Jade grabbed her arm to stop her, but the princess shook her head and pointed to the pile of her things next to the bed. Seeing that there was something important Kitana needed to get, she released her friend's arm and watched her kneel down in front of the pile to pull out a familiar item: her staff.

With shaking hands, Kitana handed a wide-eyed Jade her staff. Jade took it from Kitana's hands with a smile. She had thought she would never see her beloved weapon again.

"Quan Chi allowed me to keep it." Kitana explained."As a reminder of what would happen if I ever crossed him."

Jade ran a hand over the staff's surface, drawing comfort from the feeling of it being in her hands once more. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at Kitana and said,"Thank you for taking care of it for me."

Kitana fell into Jade's arms with a fresh sob and hugged her so tightly it was wonder the green-clad woman's ribs didn't break.

Jade sighed as she comforted her friend. The road to recovery would be long and painful, but she would help her fellow ex-revenants get through it. She wouldn't leave them again, especially not Kitana.

* * *

Delia's POV:

Delia strolled down the hall toward Taven's quarters.

After Jade finished her reunion with Kitana, she granted Delia control so she could speak with Taven. She came to a stop in front of the door and raised a fist to knock, but froze. Her son deserved answers to his many questions. But how could she possibly explain to him that his younger brother had murdered his parents, enslaved Caro, formed the Red Dragon Clan to hunt him and Blaze down, tortured and killed hundreds of people over the last several years, and that he had another brother conceived through infidelity while he and Daegon slept? One of two things would happen: Taven would have a heart attack or pass out. Perhaps both.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. Several seconds passed without a response, and she was about to knock again when Taven said,"Come in."

Delia opened the door and stepped into the room with her hands clasped behind her back and her posture rigid. Taven sat on the bed, holding his head in his hands. The sound of her footsteps caused him to look up and frown at her. She stopped in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"A bit tired and very confused, but otherwise fine." He replied."Now would you like to explain what is going on? The last thing I remember before being awoken is Daegon and I being summoned to father's throne room then being knocked unconscious. Speaking of Daegon, where is he? And why do you look so...different?"

"Much has happened since we last saw each other, Taven." She squeezed his shoulder."It is a long story as well as a sad one."

"Tell it." He insisted."I have a right to know the truth, don't I?"

"Yes." She sighed and nodded."I suppose you do. Shortly after Shao Kahn's failed attempt to conquer Edenia, I had a vision that revealed Armageddon would come. Your father and I devised a plan to prevent my vision from becoming a reality. Once you and Daegon had been rendered unconscious, you were both put into incubation and put under the protection of Caro and Orin. I created Blaze to give them the signal to awaken you and your brother, but he had another purpose besides this."

"And what might that be?"

"He had to be defeated by one of you in kombat. Whoever completed the quest would replace your father as Protector of Edenia. But Caro revived Daegon too early and Shinnok, who fell from grace shortly afterward for turning against his fellow Elder Gods, manipulated Daegon into believing that your father and I were secretly aiding you. He killed us both in a blind rage."

"What?" Taven paled, shaking his head vehemently."No, no, no, no. You were... **are** a powerful sorceress and father was an Elder God-"

"Taven." Delia interrupted gently but firmly."Would I be sharing a body with Jade if I what I am telling you is false? I am a mortal, my son. Mortals can be killed."

"That does not explain father's death. Elder Gods cannot be killed, not even fallen ones. What of Shinnok? How was he punished for his betrayal?"

"He was imprisoned in the Netherrealm." Mother and son looked up to see Fujin standing in the door with his arms crossed."He was freed by his followers twenty years ago only to be trapped within his own amulet, freed again a little more than a week ago and defeated a second time. Raiden decapitated him and gave his still living head to the revenants as a warning not to threaten Earthrealm. As for your father, I am assuming it is because he had not yet ascended to full Elder God status."

Taven frowned."Revenants?"

Fujin sighed."Following yours and Daegon's incubation, the Mortal Kombat tournament was created to give Earthrealm a chance to defend itself from Shao Kahn, but it applies to all the realms. No one can merge realms without victory in Mortal Kombat. Edenia lost ten Mortal Kombat tournaments and Shao Kahn did not hesitate to conquer and merge it with Outworld. He murdered King Jerrod and took Jerrod's wife Queen Sindel and daughter Princess Kitana as his own."

Taven buried his face in his hands."So he finally got what he wanted then..." He choked on a sob. Delia wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a comforting embrace.

"Continue, Fujin." Taven muttered.

"Sindel took her own life to prevent Earthrealm from suffering the same fate as Edenia. Her suicide provided a barrier that prevented Shao Kahn from stepping foot in Earthrealm. For 50 years, the Great Kung Lao reigned as Champion of Mortal Kombat until his death at Goro's hands and his soul was absorbed by the sorcerer Shang Tsung. Liu Kang later defeated both Shang Tsung and Goro, causing a desperate Shang Tsung to convince the emperor to create a new set of rules. A new tournament was formed where if Earthrealm won, Shao Kahn would abandon his claim to it forever. Shao Kahn murdered the descendent and namesake of the Great Kung Lao. Liu Kang killed the emperor, but Quan Chi restored him to life and convinced him to invade Earthrealm. Sindel was resurrected and brainwashed into killing several of Earthrealm's defenders, including Kitana. Thankfully, Shao Kahn was destroyed by Raiden and the Elder Gods for attempting to merge the realms without victory in Mortal Kombat, but Liu Kang died in an accident at the hands of Raiden. Quan Chi resurrected the fallen warriors as his revenants slaves."

"What of Raiden?" Taven demanded."You said that he...that Shinnok's head..."

"Before Shinnok's second defeat, he corrupted the Jinsei. Raiden was able to purify it, but corrupted himself in the process. He invaded Outworld; it was only Kotal Kahn's plea to the Elder Gods for help that stopped Raiden from merging the realms. I have been assigned to lead our forces against Raiden and replace him as Protector of Earthrealm once he has been eliminated."

"But it does not end there." Delia said."After killing your father and I, Daegon formed the Red Dragon clan to hunt you and Blaze down so he could claim the prize for himself. He is responsible for the deaths of many, including the mother of the boy who freed you from your incubation."

Taven rubbed his temples."This is all so...overwhelming. What else have I missed?"

Delia and Fujin exchanged a glance. The latter then said bluntly,"You have another brother."

"Fujin!" Delia exclaimed as Taven's jaw dropped. There were better ways of telling Taven this without blurting it out so carelessly and candidly.

Fujin shrugged."He asked for the truth, Delia. Better to be blunt so we may finish this conversation as soon as possible and continue preparing for the tournament than waste time with prattle."

"Mother...?" Taven cast a questioning glance at Delia, who shook her head.

"I am not the mother." She stated."Your father was unfaithful to me and conceived a child with another woman. That child is a grown man named Rain. He and his mother were both exiled from our family by your father out of shame for infidelity while Rain was still in his mother's womb. Rain was unaware of his true paternity for a very long time."

"Until Raiden told him after Shao Kahn's death, that is." Fujin added.

Delia nodded."Yes." She pitied Rain; no child should have to pay for the sins of their parents, but Argus was stubborn. There was no convincing him to truly atone for his mistake by accepting the child rather than banishing him alongside his mother.

"Is there anything you wish to tell me?" Taven inquired, still rubbing his temples. Delia and Fujin looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

One thing was clear: war was coming, and things were going to get far worse before they got better.

* * *

 _This really didn't feel like anything more than a filler chapter, at least the part with Delia's POV felt that way. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that was worth the wait._ _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 30:Sub-Zero_


	31. Chapter 30:Sub-Zero

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"A brother is like gold and a friend is like diamond. If gold cracks you can melt it and make it just like it was before. If a diamond cracks, it can never be like it was before."  
— Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu-Talib A.S

 **Chapter 30:Sub-Zero**

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Shock.

This was the emotion Kuai Liang felt when Raiden attacked his clan, when Hanzo broke their truce, when Frost refused to join Raiden's forces in exchange for the Dragon Medallion, and finally, when he awoke from his coma to discover that the revenants had been revived. A part of him was overjoyed at the revelation that his friend were free from Quan Chi's corruption at long last, while another part of him dreaded having to face the friends he'd all but given up hope for long ago, especially Smoke (or was it Enenra now? Bi-Han had thrown his original name away in favor of becoming Noob Saibot, so was it really a surprise that Tomas did the same?)

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around the room. A heavily injured Cassandra Cage and an unnamed boy both lay unconscious in their own beds next to the window while the surviving Lin Kuei were in just as bad shape as himself and Frost if not worse. Kuai Liang glanced at his protege as she spoke with Sareena. The two had evidently grown closer during his coma. The smallest of smiles crossed his lips as he remembered her response to Raiden's offer.

 _Find someone else to do your dirty work for you. I won't be your pet killer like Kano and Scorpion._

Kuai Liang had expected Frost to jump at the offer of taking over leadership of the clan from him. Instead, she rejected the offer and fought alongside her clan mates against their assailants.

Sareena told him of her conversation with Frost shortly before his awakening. The deaths of Tai Xin and Tai Xia filled him with horror and grief which turned to sympathy and guilt when the demoness revealed that Frost had shed a tear for the twins' murder at Tasia's hands. Frost had always been overconfident, yet she'd learned from her mistakes over the years and rather than praising her for her efforts, he lectured her daily. He thought she failed him as a student, but now he realized it was he who failed her as a mentor. He did not give her enough credit, and for that he was sorry.

Footsteps brought his attention to the door as Sonya, Johnny, Kenshi, Jacqui, Jax, Takeda, Kung Jin, and Hanzo entered the room. Anger filled him when he saw the former spectre who'd broken their truce and played as much a part as Raiden and Kano in the assault on his clan. Half the clan was dead while the other half was in no better condition than himself and Frost. Kuai Liang had seen Hanzo personally cut down several Lin Kuei, many of which were children between thirteen and fourteen years of age. And now this treacherous dog had the nerve to come see him after what he'd done? Were Kuai Liang not still recovering from his injuries, he would have gladly ripped out Hanzo's spine.

"What is **he** doing here?" Frost hissed, pointing at Hanzo. For once, Kuai Liang did not mind her rudeness.

"He's on our side now." Johnny explained, placing a hand on Sonya's shoulder as she sat at Cassie's bedside and gently touched the sleeping girl's forehead.

"Since when?" Frost demanded.

"Since a few hours ago." Kung Jin replied."He turned against Raiden at the Sky Temple and helped us fight him and his lackeys."

Kuai Liang gave Sareena a questioning look. She shook her head to convey that she was as surprised by this new piece of information he and Frost were. The demoness crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly sharing Frost's displeasure at Hanzo's presence.

"And?" Sareena asked.

"And what?" Takeda frowned, perplexed.

Frost rolled her eyes."That dog belongs in a cell, not anywhere near me, Sub-Zero, and the rest of the Lin Kuei. Or are you forgetting what he's done?" Her voice was low with contempt and ire.

"Believe me, I haven't." Sonya growled. She stood up and shoved a finger at Hanzo's chest. Takeda moved to intervene but was stopped by Kenshi grabbing his arm.

"You're lucky we're too desperate to reject any help right now." The blonde snarled at Hanzo."Otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to put you through every form of torture you let Kano inflict on my daughter."

"Sonya-" Johnny protested.

"No!" She turned and got in her ex-husband's face."He may not have taken part in Cassie's capture, but he's just as guilty as Kano and Raiden for hers and the Lin Kuei's condition!" She glanced back at Hanzo."Hell, with all the shit you've caused recently I'm starting to wonder if you've changed at all! The only difference between Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion is that they look different, but at the end of the day, they're the exact same person no matter how much Hanzo Hasashi tries to distance himself from Scorpion."

Kuai Liang narrowed his eyes."On that we agree."

All heads turned to the cryomancer. Hanzo was the very picture of shame; his eyes were lowered, his posture was crooked, and his hands shook. Good, Kuai Liang thought, he **should** be ashamed of himself for what he'd done. The rational part of him understood that Raiden most likely manipulated the Shirai Ryu into serving him while the emotional part of him could only think of his Lin Kuei warriors, both the dead and crippled ones. Never would he forget their screams or Raiden's laughter. Those sounds would haunt him forever.

"Sub-Zero-" Hanzo began only to be interrupted by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

"I suggest you save your breath, Master Hasashi." Kuai Liang said icily."I have no interest in hearing your excuses."

"Hey." Cassie's voice, barely above a whisper, drew everyone's attention to her. The girl was looking at Hanzo with sympathy."Go easy on him. He's the only reason Kevin and I are still alive."

Silence filled the room at her statement. Kuai Liang felt his expression soften. Sonya gave Hanzo a surprised look before nodding her head and returning to Cassie's bedside alongside Johnny. Jacqui, Jax, Takeda, Kenshi, and Jin gathered around the girl and started talking to her. The boy, Kevin, remained unconscious. Sareena and Frost resumed their conversation, ignoring Hanzo as he tentatively approached Kuai Liang and leaned against the wall by his bed with a sigh.

"You have every right to be angry with me." Hanzo stated."I have done nothing but wrong you for all these years. I killed your brother and broke our truce. For that I will never forgive myself. Nor should you."

Kuai Liang sighed."Yet I continue to offer and grant my forgiveness to you. If I may ask, what convinced you to switch sides?"

"In hindsight, my defection was building up for a long time." Hanzo answered."The seed of doubt was planted after Cassandra Cage's capture. It grew every time I witnessed her being tortured by Kano and the Thunder God. **Her** torture and the boy's as well."

"She said his name was Kevin."

"He is Kano's offspring."

Kuai Liang's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, the shock returning with a vengeance.

Hanzo continued."Kano forced himself on the boy's mother years ago. He was unaware of Kevin's existence until Raiden told him recently. My hesitation only grew stronger after our attack on your clan. But I reached my 'turning point', as some would say, when Raiden threatened Takeda. He said if I dared to betray him, Takeda would become his next target and that he would do far worse to him than what was done to Cassandra and Kevin. I remember how he smiled at my reaction and went on to say that he might even allow Kano and his thugs to have some fun with..." He shuddered."I had never felt so disgusted and enraged in my entire existence. When Cassandra called him out for his savagery and taunted him about not being able to break her, he turned his attention to the boy. She threw herself at the Thunder God's feet and begged him to spare Kevin's life. I knew then that I was finished being his puppet. Not even the revelation of Quan Chi's resurrection made me rethink my defection."

Kuai Liang's anger melted away at his old rival's confession."Hanzo." He said, causing the former spectre to look at him with a worried frown."You have my forgiveness."

Gratitude overtook Hanzo's expression. Kuai Liang quickly added,"I fear the same cannot be said for the rest of my clan, however."

Hanzo nodded."I understand and do not blame them." He laughed humorlessly."I once told your protege that the Lin Kuei were still without honor. Ironic, is it not, that the Shirai Ryu are now the ones without honor?"

Kuai Liang shook his head."If that were true," He stated firmly,", you would not have turned against Raiden."

Hanzo tilted his head and smiled wryly."Perhaps you are right."

* * *

 _Shorter than I would have liked, but I'm pleased with how it turned out nonetheless. Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - When I said they were returning to their old selves, I meant that they were starting to get their memories back and were sympathetic toward each other but not toward outsiders. They just wanted to be left alone. They still to an extent enjoy the cruel things they do so they wouldn't feel any guilt as revenants. Jade, as I'm sure you noticed, was a sore subject for all of them as thinking about her made them hesitate which they hated._ _As for them making amends, you thought Kuai Liang and Jax had it hard? The others are gonna have it a lot worse. Jax and Kuai Liang were revenants for a couple of years and they both didn't think they deserved to live after the things they did but they at least had time to recover. The others were revenants for two decades and have only a few days to process all everything that's happened and prepare for war against a batshit crazy Thunder God whom they still blame for their deaths. You thought this story had been a emotional train ride so far? Well, it's about to get a thousands times more deep._

 _Next up: Chapter 31:Kung Lao_


	32. Chapter 31:Kung Lao

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"He's my family, and you don't just push family aside for some itch you want to scratch. That's not how real love works. Real love is support, even when you're fighting. Real love in honesty, even when the truth hurts like hell. Real love is being there through every miserable minute and every indefinite minute."  
— Aimee Carter (Queen (The Blackcoat Rebellion #3))

 **Chapter 31:Kung Lao**

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Walking.

Never did Kung Lao think such a simple task would be so difficult for him. His body screamed in protest with every step he took, but he was determined to stay on his feet. He refused to spend another second in bed. He needed to move, to feel pain, because pain was what reminded him he was alive. The air in his lungs was not enough. Nor was the cold sweat that covered his body when he awoke. He welcomed the pain even as it evoked a groan from his lips.

His determination soon gave way to exhaustion, however, and he had to slam a hand against the wall to keep from falling. Panting heavily, he lowered himself into sitting position on the floor, pulled his knees to his chest, and rested his chin on them. The pain slowly subsided, and the memories came flooding back to him. Memories of his death at Shao Kahn's hands, his resurrection by Quan Chi, all the things he'd done as a revenant, his confrontation with Jax in the Netherrealm, to Jade's return.

A tremble shot through his body. He moaned and buried his face in his knees, shivering at the feeling of sweat soaking through his clothes. The physical pain, his only distraction from the emotional agony of remembrance, was gone. A grunt of vexation escaped his lips as he hit his head against the wall, not hard enough to leave a bruise, but enough make him temporarily forget the mental anguish he was suffering from now.

His eyes flickered to his hat where it lay on top of a pile of his things next to the bed. A chill ran down his spine as he crawled toward the accessory/weapon and studied it as if he hadn't seen it in years. He tentatively brought the hat closer to his wrist. He could have easily amputated his hand if he wanted to, but this wasn't his intention. He bit his lip and brought the hat to make a small cut against his skin. A hiss escaped his lips as he stared at the self-inflicted wound. He watched the blood trickle down his hand, felt the pain that distracted him momentarily from the mental agony, and moved to repeat the action.

"Lao!" Someone grabbed his arms from behind and yanked him back, trying to wrestle the hat from his grasp. The hat ended up on the floor. Kung Lao stopped struggling, recognizing the voice of the person behind him with ease: Kung Jin.

Kung Lao was silent, offering no protest as his cousin pulled him to his feet and dragged him to the bathroom. The older monk did not lift his gaze from the floor or react in any way as Kung Jin stopped the bleeding with a towel, cleaned the wound, and produced a first aid kit to bandage the injury.

"Why did you do it?" Anger and worry mixed into one as Kung Jin posed the question. No answer was given."Lao." He placed a hand on Lao's shoulder."Please talk to me. Look, I can't begin to imagine what you've been through or how you're feeling right now-"

Kung Lao looked up, eyes so void of emotion that Jin became uncomfortable."Pray you never do." The former revenant said icily before exiting the bathroom. He would not wish this emotional anguish upon anyone, let alone a relative.

"Hey, wait!" Kung Jin grabbed his arm, causing him to stop in his tracks."You can't just keep everything bottled up! Especially if it's causing you to hurt yourself."

Glancing at the younger man over his shoulder, Kung Lao felt a wave of sadness touch him. When he last saw Kung Jin, he'd barely been a year old. Now he was a little bit younger than Kung Lao himself had been when...

"Do not waste your energy worrying about me." The icy tone of voice did not falter."Go worry about your friend."

"Cassie'll be fine. You, on the other hand..." Kung Jin shook his head."I'm afraid that if I leave you alone, you'll pick up that hat or find some other sharp thing and cut yourself again."

"So you intend to babysit me?"

"I just wanna help you, Lao."

"Why?"

"Because we're family." Those words caused Kung Lao's eyebrows to rise."Don't look so surprised. You always have been and always will be my hero."

"You barely know me." Kung Lao stated, crossing his arms."When we last met, you could hardly walk. Yet am **I** your hero?"

"You never met the Great Kung Lao, but **he** was **your** hero."

Kung Lao sighed and rubbed his temples."You cannot begin to imagine how many of our relatives were convinced I was the Great Kung Lao reincarcerated. I would honestly not be surprised if they **still** thought so."

Kung Jin tensed."Not many of them think that anymore, but I've heard a few family members voicing that particular belief."

Kung Lao knelt down, picked up his hat, stood up, and put it on his head, knowing Jin was watching him the entire time."Why do you care so much about me? I would have killed you in the Netherrealm if not for Sareena's intervention."

"And yet you stopped Raiden from killing me a few hours ago at the Sky Temple. You sounded pretty pissed off too when you yelled at Raiden to let me go and threw your hat at him." Kung Jin placed a firm hand on Kung Lao's shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze."I'm not letting you go through this alone, Lao. Like it or not, I'll be right beside you every step of the way. I promise. Just because the rest of our family's given up on you doesn't mean I will."

Kung Lao gaped at the young man for a long moment, touched and shocked by his words. His knees suddenly buckled, causing him to hit the floor. Jin knelt beside him and pulled him into an embrace as tears ran down the older monk's face and he choked on a sob. He lost control of his emotions and let himself cry, but managed to whisper two words of gratitude to his cousin.

"Thank you."

A new sense of hope filled him. With Kung Jin beside him, he could recover from his ordeal and do what he was meant to do: save Earthrealm.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - I know you're not bashing my fic. And about the revenants, why wouldn't they blame him for their deaths? Think about it. Liu Kang was killed by Raiden (yes it was an accident but it's still understandable for Liu to be angry) and Kitana was the one who spoke up and said that they shouldn't second guess their decisions when everyone was doubting Raiden. Sindel is really the only exception because she wasn't on Raiden's side but the others were. They trusted him and gave their lives to save Earthrealm so you can imagine their shock and fury when he OFFERED THEIR SOULS TO QUAN CHI! Yes they were already his slaves but the fact that Raiden was willing to sacrifice them further like that only fueled their hatred for him. Also, the way I see it, when they first became revenants there was this tiny voice inside them that screamed that everything they did was wrong. Jax and Sub-Zero were fortunate to be freed while that tiny bit of a conscience still existed but the others weren't. So they had no choice but to adapt in order to cope with the trauma until their consciences were slowly destroyed. While they were starting to regain their former personalities after Quan Chi's death and Shinnok's death, they only showed this around each other not outsiders. And I don't mind the long review at all so no need to apologize. Also, about Sindel, seeing as she did become a good guy in the original timeline and had a very good relationship with Kitana during their time as co-rulers of Edenia, I agree that she would more than likely be a lot nicer now that she's fully back to normal. Oh and for future reference, I'm not a dude._

 _Teh Acorn - Can't answer that without giving a spoiler._

 _DarkAssassin15 - I responded to your review in a PM._

 _Jarjaxle - I completely agree with you._

 _Next up: Chapter 32:Jacqui Briggs_


	33. Chapter 32:Jacqui Briggs

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Hope is the thing with feathers  
That perches in the soul  
And sings the tune without the words  
And never stops at all."  
— Emily Dickinson

 **Chapter 32:Jacqui Briggs**

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"I don't think I've ever seen any of them that exhausted."

Jacqui smiled as she looked at the slumbering Cage family. Cassie lay in bed with Sonya curled up beside her while Johnny was alseep in a chair next to them, clutching Sonya's hand in his own. All three had passed out from exhaustion shortly after Sonya finished yelling at Hanzo and might as well have been comatose with how deeply they slept.

"Let 'em sleep." Jax said."God knows they could use some rest after all the shit they've been through these last couple of days."

"Ain't that the truth." Takeda muttered in agreement.

Jacqui did not dare disagree with her father or boyfriend. Cassie had recently been freed from two and a half days of captivity and intense torture. Sonya barely slept for more than an few hours during that time, and Johnny, in addition to still recovering from his wounds at D'Vorah and Shinnok's hands, kept his ex-wife from going insane and escorted Vera Briggs to a safe house in case Raiden targeted her. Words could not describe how grateful Jacqui and Jax were to the actor for the taking care of the most important woman in their lives when they could not.

The daughter of Jax was torn between horror at Cassie's injuries and pride for her friend managing to survive her ordeal and remain defiant for as long as she did. Cassie always had been a tough nut to crack. It was one of her most admirable traits. Jacqui did not consider herself weak, but she doubted she could've endured so much torture at Kano and Raiden's hands like Cassie did.

"Where's Jin?" She asked, just noticing the archer's absence.

"He said something about checking on his cousin." Takeda replied.

Jax sighed, rubbing his eyes."Well, seeing as General Blade's indisposed right now, I've gotta report to Secretary Blake for her."

Jacqui nodded."We'll stay here in case they wake up."

Jax placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead and patted Takeda's arm before exiting the room. Once he was gone, she looked at her boyfriend and said with a grin,"He likes you."

Takeda snorted."Yeah, I think the fact that my head hasn't been opened and used as an astray yet gave his fondness for me away."

"Believe me, if he hated you, he would've done **much** worse than use your head as an astray."

"Wow, that really calms me down, Jacqui. Thanks."

She kissed him on the cheek."No problem!" Her voice was filled with mock enthusiasm, causing him to blush and roll his eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She smirked up at him, but the smirk faded when her eyes landed on Kevin, who had started to grunt and turn his head from side to side in his sleep. He was having a nightmare. Takeda noticed this as well.

"Should we-" The telepath was interrupted by Kevin letting out a gasp and sitting up in bed with wide, terrified eyes. Upon spotting Cassie and her parents, he relaxed, only to tense up again when he noticed Jacqui and Takeda gazing at him with concern. He narrowed his eyes, not bothering to hide his distrust for them.

Pulling away from Takeda, Jacqui put up her hands and approached Kevin with slow, cautious steps."It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you. We're friends of Cassie. I'm Jacqui, this is Takeda. You're Kevin, right?" She reached out to offer a handshake. He slapped her hand away with a glare so fierce it brought new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

Takeda spoke up."He doesn't like the amount of pity in your tone." Kevin's eyes widened as Takeda explained to him,"I'm a telepath. As in I can read minds and..." He trailed off due to the death glare Kevin was giving him."Alright then." He drawled, rubbing the back of his neck."I'll stay out of your head." The death glare did not falter."You know if you keep looking at me like that, your face might freeze." The death glare still did not falter.

Takeda gave a sheepish grin."Uh, Jacqui? Maybe you wanna...take over? He's kinda creeping me out."

"Real brave, Takeda." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Kevin. Given what Cassie had told them about the boy, his hostility was not surprising. She frowned as she took note of the cuts, burns, and bruises all over Kevin's body.

His own father did this to him. That thought alone made Jacqui sick to her stomach. Her father could be strict and intimidating to say the least, but never in a million years would he lay a hand on his child. Even when she pissed him off and he had every right to yell at her, he kept a cool head. The worst thing he'd ever said to her was that he was disappointed in her for joining Special Forces behind his back, but after Shinnok's defeat, he'd admitted how proud he was of her. She was also pleasantly surprised when he gave her and Takeda his blessing to date, although not before threatening to whoop Takeda's ass if he broke his baby girl's heart.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to." Takeda said, tentatively approaching the tense boy."I get that you're scared, angry, and confused. Believe me, I do. But no one will hurt you. We can help you. Maybe if you told us about your other family, we could contact them and-" Kevin shook his head."No other family? Your mom is...?" He shut his eyes."Sorry. I know how that feels. Really I do. My mom died when I was eight."

Kevin held up ten fingers."Ten? Your mom died when you were ten?" He nodded."Was she-" He shook his head."Accident?" He nodded a second time."I'm sorry to hear that."

"How about we give you something to write with?" Jacqui asked. He gave a reluctant nod. Takeda used telekinesis to pick up a nearby notepad and pen and offer it to Kevin, who gaped at him for several seconds. This evoked a chuckle from Jacqui."You'll get used to it after awhile. Trust me."

Kevin raised an eyebrow then shook his head as he began to write. He held up the notepad for both of them to see what he wrote: 'Trust isn't my thing.'

"Well, sorry to hear that." She said, genuinely sorry for him.

'Me too. How do you two know Cassie?'

"She and I practically grew up together. She's my best friend."

Kevin pointed at Takeda."Me, Jacqui, Cassie, our friend Jin are part of a team for Special Forces. Cassie's our leader." The son of Kenshi explained.

'That woman next to her is her mom, right?'

"Yep."

'And her dad is Johnny Cage?'

"You a fan?" Kevin's horrified expression was the only response Jacqui needed.

'My mother was a huge fan, though.'

"Our dads would disagree with her on that." Jacqui laughed."My dad has quite clearly stated his opinion on Mr. Cage's movies."

'Let me guess: shitty?'

She nodded."And that's when he's in a good mood. I've heard him use **much** ruder language when he's in a bad mood to describe Uncle Johnny's acting skills. Or lack thereof."

Takeda snickered into his hand."Whenever my dad is feeling sad about his blindness, which is rare but occasionally happens, I just remind him of the existence of _Ninja Mimes_ and he immediately goes back to his usual, laid-back self."

Kevin covered his mouth with his hand to muffle his laughter. Jacqui made no attempt to conceal her own mirth. She fell over laughing and holding her stomach in pain. It was a miracle she hadn't roused the Cage family or Lin Kuei give how loud she was being. She was still laughing as Takeda helped her up, poked her arm with his finger, and pointed at Kevin, who had started to write again.

'Cassie talked a lot about her friends and family. If you're Jacqui, your dad is Cassie's Uncle Jax, right?'

"That's my dad." She replied with a smirk.

'And if you're Takeda, then your dads are Kenshi and Hanzo, right? Cassie said you technically have two dads: Kenshi by blood and Hanzo by adoption.'

Takeda chortled."You could say that. Although Master Hasashi never officially adopted me."

'Do you ever wish he did?' That question made Takeda visibly uncomfortable. If the frown on his face and narrowing of his eyes was anything to go by, that is."I'd prefer not to answer that." He said after almost five minutes of awkward silence. Kevin nodded in understanding.

Jacqui changed the subject."Listen, Kevin." She hesitated to call him by his first name even when he tilted his head to convey he didn't mind."We're trying to find out who you are, but maybe it'll quicken the process if you help us out a little?" His eyes flickered around the room as if he were afraid. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and was relieved when he didn't recoil or slap her hand away this time."Kano's not here. He can't hurt you anymore. I promise."

Takeda took a seat beside his girlfriend."It'll be a simple Q&A. No telepathy. We ask a question and you write down your answer for us. Does that sound good?" Kevin bit his lip as if in deep thought. He nodded eventually and gestured for them to start.

"What's your last name?" Jacqui asked.

'Gorton.'

"How old are you?"

'Nineteen, but I turn twenty in a month.'

"Where are you from?"

'Brooklyn. I spent my whole life there until he found me.' There was no need to elaborate on who 'he' was.

Takeda took over."Was is just you and your mom?"

'Yes. She never told me who my father was. Whenever I asked about him, she always said that he died when I was a baby. She was trying to protect me from the truth, I guess.'

"How was she as a parent?" The son of Kenshi questioned."Not abusivie or...?

Kevin shook his head and quickly wrote,'Never. She was a great mom. Loving, supportive, and really liked helping people too.'

"What did she do for a living?" Jacqui inquired.

'She was an art teacher.'

"You ever have her as a teacher?"

'No. She worked in a high school. I wasn't supposed to get her until ninth grade and she didn't live to see that day.'

Takeda shifted slightly."How did she die?"

Kevin looked down as tears poured down his face and he choked on a sob, but forced himself to write.'A drunk driver ran over her right in front of me.'

Takeda's breath quickened while Jacqui felt a chill run down her spine. Before either of them could offer their condolences, Kevin wrote something else.'It was a normal day. We were on our way home, crossing the street while the light was red when this car came toward us at full speed. My mom pushed me out of the way, and I turned around just in time to see her get run over. The car crashed into a another car and the drunk driver was killed.'

Takeda bit his lip."Guess you got sent to a bunch of foster homes afterwards, huh?"

Kevin nodded.'I ran away when I was sixteen. By then, I'd found out how I was conceived, but I didn't know who my dad was or if he was dead or alive. I wish I'd never found out. My mom was everything to me. When she died, a part of me died too. I was suicidal for a long time, but too much of a coward to do it myself, so I tried to overdose on drugs or commit suicide by cop. Kano found me, told me the truth, and tried to turn me into a mini version of himself. I was more than ready to die until they put Cassie in my cell and she convinced me not to let Kano win.'

Jacqui laughed weakly."Yeah, she's stubborn like that. Always tries to save everyone."

"And we wouldn't have her any other way." Takeda added, smiling.

"We just have one more question." Jacqui said."Your mother. What was her name?"

'Nell Gorton.'

"Okay." She stood up with a nod."That's all. You can go back to-" He stopped her from leaving by grabbing her arm and showing her one last note: 'When Cassie wakes up, can you tell her I said 'thank you'?'

Jacqui shook her head."You can tell her yourself." Kevin looked at for moment before slowly nodding in agreement, putting the pen and notepad away, and rolling over onto his side. A total of thirty seconds passed until he fell back asleep.

Takeda wrapped his arms around Jacqui's waist from behind."You think he'll be okay?"

Jacqui leaned into his embrace."Yeah. He'll be okay. So will the rest of us. We just have to stick together..."

"...and stop Raiden." He finished.

Hard as defeating the Thunder God would be, they **would** win and put an end to his madness. Jacqui was sure of it.

* * *

 _One thing that pissed me off about Mkx's story mode other than the revenant problem was the lack of development in Takeda and Jacqui's relationship. They make a cute couple, but it all felt so forced and sudden like there are several hints that they like each other throughout the sTory mode but don't seem to be dating yet and then boom out of nowhere they've already scheduled a date? Were they dating in secret for awhile or did Takeda somehow find the time to ask Jacqui out while they were in Outworld or fighting the revenants? It makes no sense but then again when does anything in Mortal Kombat ever make sense? Anyway, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 33:Kabal_


	34. Chapter 33:Kabal

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Scars are not a disfigurement, they are a sign telling the world that you fucking survived whatever it was that tried to kill you."  
— Jaden Wilkes (Perfectly Normal (The Beast, #2))

 **Chapter 33:Kabal**

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Pain.

That was the first thing Kabal felt when he awoke. An ache in his muscles and bones that rivaled the agony of Kintaro's flames all over his body. Air filled his lungs for the first time in years as his eyes fluttered open. Everything was blurry until he blinked a few times and the blurriness went away. Pain erupted in his head when he tried to sit up. His body shook uncontrollably as he grit his teeth to stifle a groan. He finally felt his body start to relax as the pain subsided and he sat up with a grunt.

"You're awake." Turning his head, Kabal saw Kira seated on the windowsill, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She must have fallen asleep whilst waiting for him to awaken. As she stood up and approached his bed, she tied her blood red hair into a ponytail and pulled her cloak tighter around herself as if she were cold. She came to a stop in front of him, grimacing and crossing her arms as she spoke."I'd ask if you're alright, but we both know that's a stupid question."

Kabal started to reply before realizing something: he wasn't wearing his mask. He touched his face, and was instantly disgusted by the familiar scarred and uneven texture of his skin. One glare was all it took to convey his vexation to Kira, who went to retrieve the mask from a pile of his things near the bed. He snatched the mask out of her hands, put it on, looked around, and asked,"Where am I?"

Kira crossed her arms again."Fort Charles. You've been unconscious for about four hours. Your partner is the room next door. Last I checked, he was still asleep. I'm not sure about your other formerly undead friends, though. I take it you remember what happened at the Sky Temple?"

Kabal nodded."Jade is alive. She came with Kenshi, Takeda, and Taven. She saved you and...freed us." He closed his eyes at the memory of the flames consuming him before he passed out. Kintaro's assault had been agonizing, but those seconds of being burned by Jade's magic were far worse.

Then he remembered something else."There was a kid with you. Who was he?"

"His name is Kevin...he's Kano's son."

"What?" It was the first word that came to mind. Kabal stared at the redhead in disbelief, wondering if this was some kind of sick joke because what woman in her right mind (other than Tasia) would willingly sleep with Kano?

As if reading his mind, Kira shook her head."Tasia isn't the mother. I can assure you Kevin's mother was not a willing participant in his conception. Kano raped her."

Even behind his mask, Kabal knew she would recognize his suspicious expression."And just how do you know who his mother is?"

She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes."That boy's mother is the reason I left the Black Dragon and spent the last twenty years in hiding until you found me."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story."

"Tell it." His tone brooked no argument.

Kira sighed, sat down beside him, drew a dagger, and studied it as she spoke."After you died, I started to hesitate. Killing and stealing slowly but surely became less satisfying and thrilling and more...wrong. A part of me thought about leaving while another part said doing so would be the worst decision I'd ever make, so I stayed for another two years. Kano had appointed me as his second-in-hand in your absence, but things weren't the same without you. We went from being hardcore criminals to kissing Shao Kahn's feet. Kobra, Tasia, Tremor, and I stayed behind while Kano did all the work during Shao Kahn's war with Earthrealm, but he kept in touch with us. He told us about his plan to convince you to return. He'd been keeping an eye on you ever since you left the Black Dragon, and was desperate to bring you back. He said that Kintaro had done his job and it wouldn't be long before we saw you again."

"Kira," Kabal breathed,", are you telling me that what Kintaro did to me...was part of Kano's plan all along?"

Kira kept her gaze on the dagger as she replied in a flat tone,"Yes. Kano provided Kintaro with a description of you and Kurtis Stryker. His orders were to maim you and kill your partner. I guess he figured that with Stryker out of the way, he could save you and use your gratitude to his advantage. Of course, no one expected Kintaro to get his ass handed to him by Stryker, but that didn't stop Kano from taking you with him to Outworld."

Kano had admitted to selling the monsters their firepower, so it really shouldn't come as a shock to Kabal that the one-eyed mercenary had been so desperate to bring him back to the clan that he arranged Stryker's murder and Kabal's maiming. It was because of him that Kabal was now a freak, that he could never look in the mirror without remembering his ordeal and who was responsible for it.

Kira took something out of her pocket and slowly opened her hand to reveal what it was: a pair of golden rings. Wedding bands to be exact."One of these is yours. The other one belonged to Kevin's mother."

Kabal froze, his jaw dropping and body trembling in shock and rage. Kira opened her mouth to speak, but the words turned into a yelp. In a flash, Kabal pinned her against the wall with one hand holding her throat in an iron tight grip. She reached for a dagger, only to have the weapon knocked out of her hand. She fruitlessly tried to pry his fingers off her throat, gasping as his grip tightened.

"K-Kabal, please." She pleaded."I-I didn't..."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." He growled.

She continued to struggle."Because...ugh...because..." She started to turn blue. Her eyes were just about to close...

...when Kabal felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Stryker standing behind him. He must have heard Kira's yelp and come in to see what happened.

"Don't." Stryker whispered, shaking his head.

"Kabal." Kira choked out."I'm the one who helped her escape."

Kabal released Kira. She fell to the floor in a violent coughing fit, rubbing her throat and gasping for air. Stryker pulled her to her feet. She nodded in gratitude, receiving a tilt of the head in response. As she retrieved her daggers, Kabal hissed,"Explain. Now."

Kira was still rubbing her throat as she responded,"A few months after Shinnok's first invasion, Kano was still pissed with how things ended between you two."

"You mean how I knocked him out in Shao Kahn's throne room?" Kabal asked dryly.

"Pretty much. When he found out you were a revenant, he ranted about how you got what you deserved for betraying the Black Dragon and that there was nothing you could do to protect her anymore." There was no need to eleborate on who she meant by 'her'.

"Go on." Kabal said, crossing his arms.

"Kano kidnapped her while she was visiting your grave. His plan was to turn her into his own personal sex slave and brag about it, knowing there wasn't anything you could do since you were under Quan Chi's control. When I fought with Kano after rescuing Cassandra and Kevin, he told me that Nell died in an accident almost a decade ago."

Kabal shut his eyes. Nell had known the truth about his past, but chose to be with him because she thought he was a changed man. He should have known better than to let her in. It was a big enough risk trusting Stryker with the truth. Nell had always been so damn stubborn, refusing to leave him no matter what. Falling in love with her was easy. Losing her was unbearable. He thought she died during Shao Kahn's invasion, but the truth was much worse.

Stryker placed a hand on his shoulder and gave Kira a questioning look."Why did you help her?"

"Because she was a sex slave too." Kabal answered for the redhead. Stryker's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he turned to Kira as if asking for confirmation of his friend's claim.

Kira nodded."My parents sold me into slavery when I was nine to a rich businessman who bought children to be his own personal slaves. He took a liking to me because of how calm I was most of the time. I never cried or begged like the other kids, but I wasn't exactly docile either. He liked my calm, defiant demeanor so much that he decided to train me as his pet killer. My job was to take out his rivals. What he didn't count on was me turning on him. On my seventeenth birthday, I killed him before finding my parents and killing them as well. I'd formed enough connections in the Black Market during my time as a slave to get my hands on plenty of weapons which I sold to terrorists in Afghanistan. I lived there for a year before my gender was discovered and had to fight my way out of the cave. When I walked out, I was greeted by Kabal and recruited into the Black Dragon Clan." She turned back to Kabal."Do you remember how you felt when that little boy looked you in the eye after you murdered his father right in front of him? That's how I felt when I looked into Nell's eyes. That feeling returned when I saw Kevin for the first time."

"So you helped her out of empathy." Kabal shook his head."I didn't think you were still capable of empathy."

Kira laughed humorlessly."Neither did I." She unsheathed a dagger and examined it with a frown."Before your friend rescued me, General Blade, Cassandra Cage, and Kevin, I had a nice little chat with Tasia. She taunted me about you and Kobra and lost it when I responded in kind by reminding her what a screamer she was. She came this close to decapitating me and would have successfully done so if she hadn't decided to give me a speech on what the problem was with you and I."

"What did she say?"

"That you and I both knew what we were doing as Black Dragon members was wrong, but that we didn't think about it because we didn't want the guilt to make us hesitate, so we lied to ourselves until we saw the truth of our work, how others suffered and died because of what we did and that that was a difference between us and our fellow Black Dragons. They know what they're were doing was wrong; they just don't care. Tasia said that was the best thing about being a psychopath. They understand concepts like mercy, love, and remorse, but don't experience them as emotions. And that, according to her, is why everything they do is so damn easy. Her speech gave me the distraction I needed to kick her in the shin and chop her hands off with her own swords."

"She'll live." Kabal stated.

Kira rolled her eyes."Of course she will. If Kano can survive losing an eye, Jax can survive losing his arms, Skarlet can survive losing her legs, and you can survive third degree burns all over your body courtesy of a four-armed tiger, Tasia can survive losing her hands. She'll be coming for me like a madwoman for revenge. I don't doubt it for a second. Hell, even Kano was pissed at me for what I did to Tasia. It's safe to say that I'm as much of a traitor to the Black Dragon as you now, Kabal. When you tracked me down a few days ago, you told me that the Kabal I knew died a long time ago both figuratively and literally. Well, the Kira you knew died a long time ago too. Figuratively speaking, of course."

It was true; the Kira in front of him and the Kira he'd met so many years ago were two different people. That Kira had been cold, ruthless, and had called him an idiot for leaving the Black Dragon. This Kira retained her old self's pragmatism, but wasn't the same cold-blooded woman she used to be. Then again, people change when one hasn't seen them in over twenty years. Kabal himself had changed a lot both mentally and physically, so it wasn't all that surprising that Kira had changed much over the years as well.

Kira exited the room, but just before leaving she said over her shoulder,"I should have gone with you."

After she left, Kabal moved to the bed where the rings had fallen onto when he attacked Kira. He picked the rings up and clenched his fist. Stryker followed him, unsure of what to say.

"Kabal." His partner eventually spoke."It wasn't your fault."

Kabal scoffed."Do you really believe that?"

"Yeah, I do." Stryker placed a hand on his shoulder."You know I'm right. There wasn't anything you could have done. Kano knew that and took advantage of it. It's his fault, not yours."

A sigh escaped the masked man's lips."I...can't talk about this right now. I'm still trying to process the fact that I... **we** aren't revenants anymore."

The things he'd done as a Black Dragon were despicable to say the least, but the things he did for Quan Chi and Shinnok were far worse. At least he'd been in control of his actions during his time with Black Dragon. The same could not be said for his time as a revenant, and that would haunt him forever.

"Same here." Stryker nodded."I can't imagine how the others are dealing with it. Sindel's most likely having the worse of it. Poor woman's probably gonna have a panic attack when she wakes up."

Kabal winced at the memory of Sindel's heel connecting with his respirator. Angry as he was about his death, he didn't blame the Edenian queen. If anything, he pitied her. Twice she'd been resurrected by Quan Chi as a crazy undead murderess. He could only imagine the apologies she would sputter once they all had a chance to speak in private. Kitana and Nightwolf had always consoled her during their time in the Netherrealm, assuring her she wasn't the one at fault. Now that they were fully restored to life, all of them would have to lean on each other for comfort and forgiveness.

One did not need to be a genius to know the road to recovery would be long and hard, but there were more important things to worry about: Raiden. The deity was no longer the calm, sensible man who recruited them to save Earthrealm. He was a psychopathic monster that needed to be put down, and Kabal personally looked forward to watching Liu Kang and Kung Lao do just that.

"We'll make it through this." Stryker stated in a whisper."We have to."

* * *

 _About the whole ring thing, some people may know what I'm talking about and some may not. Okay so after Kabal is burned by Kintaro and when there's a close up on him as Stryker is calling for help, if you_ _pay very close attention you'll notice a ring on his finger. When I saw first it, I actually looked it up online to see if anyone else did and was somewhat surprised to see that other people noticed it too. It probably doesn't really mean anything, but I just thought it was an interesting detail and would make a good plot twist for the story, so I included it here._

 _Also, you may have noticed my updates have been a lot more frequent lately and that's because I start class again soon so my schedule is gonna be pretty busy and I wanna get in as many chapters as I can until then. So I have to create a good schedule to update my story. I'll figure it out and_ _the next time I update, I'm going to give an exact date for my next update and will be doing so for every chapter after that. In the meantime, p_ _lease remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 34:Tasia_


	35. Chapter 34:Tasia

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid."  
— George R.R. Martin (A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2))

 **Chapter 34:Tasia**

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Voices.

That was the first thing Tasia heard when she awoke. Voices were speaking in whispers nearby. She recognized them as belonging to Kano, Tremor, and Jarek. Her head was pounding so harshly that she let out a moan of pain. She brought up a hand to rub her forehead and was aghast upon feeling cold metal against her skin. Her eyes widened when she realized that she couldn't feel her hands and that the limbs had been replaced by prosthetics. It took her a total of ten seconds to remember why.

 _Well, I just amputated both of your hands with your own weapons, so maybe I haven't gone as soft as you think._

Kira's words would stay in her memory for the rest of her life. She remembered hearing Jarek yell her name as he and Tremor rushed to her aid as well as Kano's threat to Kira before she lost consciousness. Tasia stared at her hands, clenching them into tight fists that she saw but couldn't feel. She'd been bested by Kabal's little pet, his rejected whore, Kobra's crush, a traitor to the Black Dragon. But the worst part was the fact that Kira amputated her hands with Tasia's own weapons. Her beloved swords had been used against her. Clever bitch that Kira was.

"Easy there, love." A hand touched her shoulder."You've had a rough one."

Tasia looked up to see Kano standing beside her with Jarek and Tremor on either side of him. All three were the very picture of concern and anger.

"What happened?" She asked."Where are we? This isn't any of our hideouts."

"We are in Seido." Tremor stated."Or Orderrealm, as others prefer to call it."

"As for what happened," Jarek sighed,", Kira and General Blade got away with Cassie and Kano Jr. A portal opened out of nowhere and sucked them in."

"Why are we in Seido?"

"Because it is our new base of operations." Raiden said as he stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and an icy look on his face. He entered the room, and others followed: Hotaru, D'Vorah, Tanya, Nitara, Skarlet, Goro, and Daegon.

"What is **he** doing here?" Tasia hissed, pointing at the demigod.

"Let's just say we've made a temporary truce for the moment." Kano replied.

The Thunder God scowled."All four of you would do good to watch your tongues given our recent failures. Because of your incompetence, we have lost our hostage."

"Don't forget about my failed student too." Kano muttered.

Raiden rolled his eyes."I care not for the boy. He is of no worth as a hostage." He gave Tasia a glare so fierce it made a chill ran down her spine. She gulped as he approached her, tilting her chin up with his fingers to force her to make eye contact with him."Listen to me Tasia and listen well. I could have easily ordered Daegon to restore your hands as he did Goro's arms and Skarlet's legs and electrocuted him if he refused to do so, but I chose not to. Do you know why?" She shook her head, and his grip tightened."Because I wish for you to learn from your mistake. I wish for you to remember what Kira has done to you whenever you look at her hands. This is your punishment for failing me. Am I understood?"

Tasia nodded."Yes, sir." She breathed a sigh of relief when he released her chin and turned his attention to the two treacherous females in the room.

"Tanya, D'Vorah." The Edenian and Kytinn both stepped forward at their names being called, heads bowed and hands clasped behind their backs. Neither had time to react as Raiden electrocuted them mercilessly. They cried out and fell to their knees. Raiden relented, barking at them to get up, which they swiftly did despite the obvious pain and shock that overwhelmed them."Allow me to make one thing clear to both of you: I am well aware of your treacherous histories. Tanya, you have betrayed more people than one can count, and D'Vorah, you served Kotal Kahn for years, only to betray him to Shinnok. Tell me, were you ever loyal to the emperor?"

D'Vorah lowered her eyes."This One was loyal to Kotal Kahn for the majority of his rule until the Blood Code opened our eyes to how weak he was. Shinnok's power intrigued and frightened us as yours does now, Lord Raiden. This One will not betray you."

"Nor will I." Tanya said in a shaky voice.

Never did Tasia think she would see Tanya or D'Vorah afraid, yet there was no denying the truth in front of her. D'Vorah and Tanya were incredible actress, but what they were doing now was **not** acting. The fear in their voices was genuine. Tasia would be lying if she denied sharing that fear. Even Daegon, Goro, and Skarlet looked uncomfortable if the way they averted their eyes from the scene before them was any hint. Nitara took a few steps back until her back met the wall and she leaned against it with a frown marring her darkly attractive features. Kano, Jarek, and Tremor were muttering curses under their breath. The only person not remotely disturbed by Raiden's actions was Hotaru, who stood beside the deity with a blank expression as if he were used to this kind of thing.

"I hope for both of your sakes that you are telling the truth." Raiden growled. They nodded, shaking like leaves as he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. The four Black Dragon members made no attempt to hide their discomfort as Raiden seemed to prepare to electrocute them nor did they conceal their relief when he turned away from them in favor of addressing the three Red Dragon members in the room." **Your** mission was at least partially successful."

Goro nodded."Indeed. All five of Sheeva's champions are dead and the queen herself is heavily wounded and unable to participate in the tournament. Torr has awoken from his coma, but will not be fit for kombat for quite some time. I request your blessing to kill Sheeva and Kotal Kahn, Lord Raiden. They both owe me a blood debt."

Raiden nodded."Fair enough."

Skarlet stepped forward with a bow."Lord Raiden, I was bested in kombat by an Edenian named Ruby. I request your blessing to kill her."

"Ah yes, Ruby." Raiden easily recognized the name. As did the Black Dragon Clan."The Edenian who refused to tell me where Rain was before the revenants arrived to her aid. Very well. Her life is yours to take."

Daegon crossed his arms."I would request that more than one person's fate be put into my hands. Kenshi Takahashi betrayed me, Hanzo Hasashi killed Hsu Hao, and Jacqueline Briggs and Cassandra Cage murdered Mavado. I wish to be given Takeda Takahashi as a prisoner so I may torture him as revenge for what his father, adoptive father, friend, and lover did to my clan."

"Shall I assume that you wish for your mother and brothers as well?"

Daegon nodded."This time I will ensure that my mother stays dead and that neither Taven nor Rain take the prize from me."

"Rain is nowhere near as powerful as yourself or Taven."

"No, but only a son of Argus can succeed him as Protector of Edenia. Therefore, Rain poses as much of a threat to me as Taven. They may even work together to defeat me. I cannot afford that."

"An understandable concern and request." Raiden tilted his head."I will give you what you wish, Daegon. You have my word."

"There is another problem, however, regarding my mother." The demigod rubbed his chin thoughtfully."She shares a body with Jade, so if she finds herself unable to fight me as she did in Outworld, she may simply grant Jade control again and the Edenian has made it no secret that she does not share my mother's hesitation."

"Sounds like that's your problem then." Kano remarked with a smirk. He yelped when Raiden threw a lightning bolt at him that brought him to his knees. Jarek quickly helped him to his feet.

Tasia grimaced."Maybe you should keep your mouth shut when other people are talking, Kano."

Raiden chuckled."Clearly the females of the Black Dragon Clan are the intelligent ones. I would advise you to listen to your friend, Kano."

Kano groaned."I'll keep that in mind."

"Be sure that you do." Daegon said icily as he and Raiden moved their conversation elsewhere with Goro, Skarlet, Nitara, and Hotaru following closely behind, leaving the Black Dragons alone.

"Remind me never to get on his bad side." Jarek said.

Tremor nodded."We should all stay on his good side after recent events, and I am not just referring to Cassandra and Kano Jr.'s escape."

"Yeah, yeah, Kabal and his pals aren't zombies anymore, I know." Kano mumbled, nodding at Tasia's surprised expression.

"According to Raiden, Jade showed up with Kenshi and his brat and Taven and brought the revenants back to life." Jarek explained.

"We also cannot forget that Kira has most likely informed Kabal of the circumstances surrounding Kano Jr.'s conception." Tremor added.

Jarek snorted. "You mean how Kano kidnapped Kabal's wife while he was a revenant and raped her?" Despite not being a member at the time, he was well aware of the clan's actions before he joined.

"She probably told him about how I'm the one who ordered Kintaro to kill his partner and maim him too." Kano spat on the ground."Still can't believe that four-armed idiot got his ass handed to him by a confused cop."

"Life is full of surprises." Tremor stated, shrugging.

Tasia was no longer paying attention to her allies' conversation. She stared at her hands, rage burning within her as Kira's words refused to leave her mind. Never again would she feel her hands. Now she knew how Jax felt about his metal arms. More rage burned within her at the thought of the Major who'd defeated her, Tremor, and Kano all those years ago. Jarek hadn't been a member yet and Kabal was away recruiting Kira and Kobra at the time, so they were spared an encounter with Jax.

Angry as Tasia was with Jax, it was Kira whom she wanted revenge against. Kira ruined her life by chopping off her hands (with her own weapons no less), and Tasia had every intention of returning the favor. Already in her head she was planning to lock the bitch up in Kano's torture room and make her suffer until she begged for death. Kira was a tough nut to crack, so breaking her would not be easy, but that did not deter Tasia.

She **would** get back at Kira, no matter what the cost.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 35:Liu Kang (Date: September 14th)_


	36. Chapter 35:Liu Kang

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Blood is thicker than water, but family isn't just about blood. Family is about faith, and loyalty, and who you love. If you don't have those things, I don't care what the blood says. You're not family."  
— Seanan McGuire (Midnight Blue-Light Special (InCryptid, #2))

 **Chapter 35:Liu Kang**

* * *

He was supposed to protect Earthrealm, not threaten it.

That was his duty as champion, yet he had failed miserably. Liu Kang stood on the balcony, knuckles turning white due to how tightly he was gripping the banister. He took deep breaths, relishing the air in his lungs that he had taken for granted in the past, but now practically worshipped. The fresh morning air flew gently against his face, soothing his nerves for but a moment before the tension returned and he found himself struggling to process...well, **everything**.

Raiden, whom Liu Kang once respected and trusted more than anyone else, whom he followed blindly during the tournament, whom he regarded as the father he'd never had, who had caused the deaths of his best friend and love interest, who had killed him in an accident, was now a monster like Liu Kang himself had been while he was a revenant. He'd decapitated Shinnok, invaded Outworld, kidnapped and tortured Cassandra Cage, nearly destroyed the Lin Kuei, and screamed for the two monks he claimed were like sons to him to shut up and mercilessly electrocuted them when they berated him at the Sky Temple.

The memory of being electrocuted by the Thunder God was something the former champion would never forget. If the brainwashed Quan Chi hadn't intervened at the Sky Temple, neither he nor Kung Lao would not be alive right now, though Liu Kang supposed it was Jade who deserved most if not all of the credit for saving his and the others' lives. To say it was a shock to see the green-clad Edenian again after so many years of assuming her to be gone forever would be understating it. He remembered how she saved Sonya Blade, Kira, Cassandra Cage, and the unfamiliar boy accompanying them, how she slammed a fiery fist into the ground, how the flames consumed himself and his fellow revenants before a bright light blinded him and he lost consciousness.

Liu Kang's gaze was glued to the ground below. The guilt and memories overwhelmed him to the point that he could not breathe properly and his clothes were soaked with sweat. Why did Jade have to save him? He did not deserve to be saved after the things he'd done. How many innocents had he murdered in cold blood as a revenant? Why should he live again whilst his victims did not?

The sound of someone sighing reminded him he was not alone. Kitana was leaning against him with her head resting on his shoulder and her hand grasping his own while Kung Lao stood on his other side, also gazing at the ground below with a frown. Liu Kang did not fail to notice the bandage wrapped around his friend's wrist, but chose not to bring it up. Smoke, Nightwolf, Stryker, and Kabal were standing behind him, their heads bowed and arms crossed. Kabal seemed to be clutching something in his hand, though Liu Kang could not see what it was. Sindel sat on the floor in the doorway, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. She rocked herself back and forth, tears rolling down her face. Kitana had tried to comfort her mother, but Sindel simply backed away and shook her head, too ashamed to look at her daughter and other victims.

For half an hour, the seven of them had stood together in silence, no one knowing what to say or if anything should be said at all. What was there to say? Words were not needed in the Netherrealm. Silence was golden as some would say. But in this case, with them no longer being revenants, perhaps words were needed. They could not sit here in silence forever, not when there was an insane deity that needed to be dealt with. It came as a relief, therefore, when Nightwolf, having been the one who heaved the sigh that snapped Liu Kang out of his thoughts, broke the seemingly endless silence.

"We cannot waste all of eternity brooding." The shaman stated."We must prepare for the tournament and coming war.

Liu Kang nodded."He is correct. As Kung Lao and I told Kotal Kahn and Bo' Rai Cho, even if we are able to win the tournament, Raiden will not give up his goal to merge the realms. He will kill anyone who stands in his way."

Nightwolf frowned and lowered his eyes."After I escorted Sareena back to Earthrealm, Fujin asked me about my duty. I could not find an answer to his question. Now that I am no longer a revenant, I realize that my duty is the same as it has always been: to protect Earthrealm."

"And as Champion of Mortal Kombat, I share the sentiment." Liu Kang said. He despised himself for allowing Quan Chi to mock his skills and was determined not to let anyone do so ever again.

Kung Lao placed a hand on his shoulder."As do I." His smile was genuine and voice hopeful.

Stryker and Kabal exchanged a glance before the former spoke."We're still cops as far as I'm concerned and saving the world is our job too."

Kabal nodded in agreement."Wouldn't be the first time we all risked our lives to stop a psychopath like him and marched to our deaths." He said dryly.

Smoke chortled."For as long as I can remember, others have tried to control me, but now I finally feel as if **I** am the one in control of my life. I died to save Earthrealm once. I will not hesitate to do so a second time. There are fates worse than death."

Kitana spoke up."Shao Kahn filled my head with lies for 10,000 years and for all that I despise Raiden, I am grateful to him for helping me discover the truth. I will no longer be a pawn. Quan Chi and Shao Kahn hold no influence over me any longer. I am a princess, and I will go down fighting if I must to save this realm from suffering the same fate as Edenia."

Sindel smiled and wiped her eyes."You remind me of myself. I could not bear the thought of Earthrealm being conquered and its people enslaved or forced to become fugitives like my own." She laughed humorlessly."Ironic that I ended up posing a threat to Earthrealm myself."

"Mother." Kitana shook her head as she approached the former queen and knelt in front of her."No one blames you for our fates. We forgave you long ago."

"The only person you must seek forgiveness from is yourself, Sindel." Nightwolf stated."Quan Chi, Shao Kahn, and Raiden are to blame for our plight, not you."

"Please, mother." Kitana whispered, offering Sindel a hand. Sindel stared at Kitana for a moment before placing her hand in her daughter's and allowing herself to be pulled into standing position.

"So where do we start?" Kabal asked.

"The new kombatants, perhaps?" Kung Lao suggested."Master Bo' Rai Cho's training will greatly benefit them, but they also require training from actual participants of the tournament."

"Ermac and Reptile have some experience." Nightwolf said."Cassandra Cage, Jacqueline Briggs, and Takahashi Takeda's parents all participated in the tournament and personally assisted in training them. Scorpion himself taught Takeda most of what he knows about fighting."

"Cassandra Cage will not be doing anything, let alone fighting, for awhile." Kitana said with a sigh."A shame. She is quite skilled and clever. Not the equal of her parents, but a deadly kombatant nonetheless. Johnny Cage cannot participate either seeing as he is also still in recovery from his own wounds at Shinnok and D'Vorah's hands."

"Kung Jin asked me to train him." Kung Lao said."He will need more than just my mentorship, however." He turned to Liu Kang."The champion of Mortal Kombat should take over the new kombatants' training."

"I believe Liu Kang, Kitana, and Kung Lao should take over as their teachers." Sindel stated."Out of all of us, you are the strongest and most qualified to teach them."

Nightwolf nodded in agreement."And while we are no longer revenants, Liu Kang and Kitana are still our leaders."

The former emperor and empress of the Netherrealm exchanged a glance, touched by their comrades' respect for them before nodding in unison.

"Erron Black seems to be flourishing with Li Mei as his sparring partner." Liu Kang said."I would not be surprised if Master Bo' Rai Cho named her as his permanent teacher."

"Reptile must learn to control his anger." Kitana frowned."Perhaps you can assist him in that regard, Nightwolf." The shaman nodded in acceptance of her suggestion.

"Ermac was able to fight both Li Mei and Bo' Rai Cho to a tie." Liu Kang rubbed his chin thoughtfully."Have you or your mother spoken with him since-"

"No." Mother and daughter said in unison.

"You can't avoid him forever, you know." Stryker pointed out.

"We know." They sighed simultaneously.

"Ermac isn't the only person you can't avoid forever, princess." Everyone immediately knew who Kabal was talking about.

Liu Kang stifled a groan as the name of certain purple-clad demigod came to mind. If Rain's treacherous history was not bad enough, his obvious affections for Kitana made the monk hate him even more. It had taken all of his patience not to snap Rain's neck since he first laid eyes on him.

Kitana crossed her arms."I am well aware of Rain's feelings for me."

"Then maybe you should do something about it." The masked man rolled his eyes at her irritated expression."Oh come, Kitana. We **all** saw him staring at you in the Netherrealm **and** when we showed up to help the Edenian Resistence. He's got it bad for you. Frankly, I'm surprised lover boy here," He pointed at Liu Kang,", didn't throw a fireball at him at first sight."

Although he refused to admit it, Liu Kang was also surprised he hadn't killed or attacked Rain as soon as they made eye contact for the first time. In spite of his dislike for the demigod, however, he trusted Kitana and knew she would never betray him to anyone, let alone a traitor like Rain. Still, he could not help but feel a little bit of jealously...

"Kitana." He took her hand in his."I trust you to handle the situation with Rain how you see fit."

Kung Lao snickered into his hand."Why then do I have a strange feeling that you will attempt to kill him regardless of what Kitana says or does?"

Liu Kang made no attempt to prevent the smallest of smiles from crossing his lips."Kill him? No. Frighten him? Perhaps."

"I will speak with Rain." Kitana squeezed his hand and turned to Sindel."We will contact him and arrange a meeting. Jade/Delia and Taven will come with us. I doubt Taven and Rain will have a pleasant first meeting, but these are difficult times and they will have to put aside any difference they may have upon meeting in order to defeat Daegon. We must also speak with Kotal Kahn about...political matters."

"Yes." Sindel seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind her daughter's words if her nod of the head was any indication."Ermac will be there as well."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Liu Kang sighed as he went to answer it, hoping it was Jade/Delia instead of Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, or Jax. His eyes widened in shock when he opened the door and made eye contact with someone he thought he'd never see again.

"Hello, Liu Kang. It's been awhile."

"Kai?"

* * *

 _I'm well aware of the fact that this update came quicker than I said it would but so far, my schedule hain't been too busy so updates haven't changed much but I'll be sure to let you guys know if anything changes. In the meantime, p_ _lease remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 36:Rain II_


	37. Chapter 36:Rain II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"A person doesn't know true hurt and suffering until they've felt the pain of falling in love with someone whose affections lie elsewhere."  
― Rose Gordon, Her Imperfect Groom

 **Chapter 36:Rain II**

* * *

Irritation.

This was the emotion Rain felt as he leaned against the war table with his arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. Ruby sat on the table beside him, inspecting her nails. It was twenty minutes after 2PM, meaning that Kitana, Sindel, and Jade were twenty minutes late. The three women had contacted him to reveal they would arrive to discuss military matters, yet with how long he'd been waiting, one would think they lied to annoy him as a form of punishment for his treacherous history.

The Edenian Resistance had set up camp within the walls around Kotal Kahn's palace as they did not want to be too far from their allies nor too close to the emperor. Kotal did not mind and completely understood why they did so. Not that Rain required anyone's, let alone Kotal Kahn's, approval to do anything.

"Feel free to stop tapping your foot like an impatient child anytime now, Rain." Ruby said, keeping her eyes on her nails.

Rain glared at her, feeling no surprise when she ignored him. Ruby's sharp tongue, along with her habit of spitting on people such as Tanya, Skarlet, Mileena and himself, was her best known quality. As much of a pain as she could be, however, she was a valuable warrior, loyal to her people, and knew a thing or two about strategy, so he was willing to endure her attitude. She was also more pleasant to be around than Mileena or Tanya when she wasn't mocking him.

Ruby did not trust him, but at least she was blunt about it and served as a more reliable ally than Tanya, which earned her his trust and respect although he'd never tell her that. She'd been a simple soldier in Shao Kahn's army when they first met. After Kitana and Jade's deaths, she became a fugitive due to her refusal to serve Mileena, only to end up working with the clone when Tanya and Rain formed an alliance with her. Needless to say, Ruby did not shed a tear over the execution of the former empress and Rain agreed with her.

Although Mileena taunted all of the Edenians about Kitana, she targeted Rain and Ruby the most, knowing of the former's feelings for her 'sister' and the latter's friendship with Kitana. The clone was more trouble than she was worth, and Rain felt no grief over her death. Even the Tarkatans were starting to care less about Mileena, and slowly but surely began to gravitate toward Kitana. Not a surprise, given the princess's beauty, wisdom, and strength, all things that Mileena lacked. Savage and idiotic as Tarkatans could be, even they had standards.

"Forgive me if I do not enjoy it when someone does not arrive at the time they said they would." Rain said, narrowing his eyes.

Ruby scoffed, rolling her eyes."Oh please. Your divine backside isn't exactly known for showing up on time either. And in case you've forgotten, they were revenants for quite awhile. Jade may have recovered from her experience years ago, but Kitana and Sindel have been free for **hours**. I don't think it would kill you to give them some more time."

Where Tanya irritated him, Ruby fascinated him. Tanya was quick to physically react whenever he said something she did not like. Ruby, on the other hand, kept her cool and responded with words. Earthrealmers liked to say that actions spoke louder than words, but in Ruby's case, Rain thought of a different phrase: words cut deeper than any knife.

"I can do without your commentary, Ruby." Rain said dryly.

"And I can do without your hubris, Mileena's insanity, and Tanya's promiscuity. Yet I've had to put up with all three for several years now, so it's only fair that you deal with my commentary, **Your Divineness**."

Rain's jaw clenched. Ruby always did know how to get under his skin and he could not find a proper comeback to return the favor like he did with Tanya. It was because of this that he settled for an empty threat."Your valuableness as ally is the only thing keeping you alive."

"I believe the same can be said for you, Rain." Kitana's calm and deadly voice reached his ears. She stood in the doorway of the tent with Sindel and Jade on either side of her. The princess and queen had changed from their Netherrealm attire into regal Edenian clothing.

"Don't make threats you can't enforce, Your Divineness." Ruby snickered as she hopped off the table and hurried to embrace her two long lost friends.

The women were not alone; Taven was with them. Rain narrowed his eyes, noticing how Taven did the same. Lovely. They hadn't even exchanged words yet and already they disliked each other. Now if only Daegon were here, he thought sarcastically, then they could begin a three-way brawl for the title of strongest son of Argus. Betrayal and hatred certainly seemed to run in Argus's offspring.

Rain surprised himself by feeling a bit of guilt for the disgrace he'd made of his adoptive father's name. For all that he boasted of his status as a son of Argus, he did not see Argus as his true father. That title belonged to the man who'd raised him, not the deity who exiled his pregnant mother and abandoned him in favor of his two legitimate sons.

" **This** is my other brother?" Taven spat, gesturing to Rain. His eyebrows were raised in incredulity and teeth clenched in contempt.

Rain clicked his tongue against his teeth."I assure you, I am as displeased with our shared blood as you are. I do not doubt that Daegon feels the same way. Alas, our father could not, what is the Earthrealm phrase? Keep it in his pants?"

Taven's eyes glinted with ire in response to the insult toward their father."He atoned for his mistake long ago."

Rain laughed, the sound a mix of sarcastic and bitter."Exiling an innocent woman and her unborn child is considered atonement? My apologies. I was not aware of this."

"Your mother no doubt seduced him and got what she deserved for her promiscuity-agh!" Taven was prevented from finishing his sentence as Rain's fist collided with his face.

"Say that again." Rain snarled, pointing a furious finger at Taven."I dare you."

If looks could kill, Taven and Rain would have both been reduced to piles of ashes due to how darkly they glowered at one another. Rain wanted nothing more than to drown this dolt, though he did draw satisfaction from the realization that Taven now had a bruise on his right cheek and a cut on his upper lip.

Taven looked Rain dead in the eye."Your mother was a whore." That remark earned him another fist to the face. This time, Taven responded with a punch of his own. Rain staggered back with a yelp, grasping his bruised chin as Taven moved to attack him again with a fireball forming in his hand while Rain prepared to throw a lightning bolt at the other demigod.

"Enough!" Kitana yelled, getting in between them. Her hand touched Rain's chest to give him a light push whilst her eyes glared at Taven with a fury that rivaled that of Shao Kahn. Her glare made it clear both demigods who was in charge here.

"Rain, I would like a word with you outside." Her tone brooked no argument."Alone."

Jade scowled."Taven, your mother wishes me to inform you that the two of you will speak about your behavior later."

Taven frowned as he covered his bruised face and cut lip with his hand."I am not a child to be scolded."

"Then I suggest you stop acting like one." Sindel retorted.

Ruby shook her head."Elder Gods, are all sons of Argus arrogant little pricks?" She rolled her eyes at the glare Taven gave her. Honestly, Rain was surprised Taven took offense to her remark. Then again, he was used to her attitude so perhaps it did not have the same effect on others as it did on him. Or lack thereof in this case.

Kitana paid no attention to the others' coversation as she dragged Rain out of the tent by his arm. Once they were outside, she stepped closer, lowering his mask and lifting his chin to get a better look at the bruise that had formed there. Her expression softened as she released him and stepped back."I would be vexed with your outburst if I did not understand it."

Rain crossed his arms, desperately trying to ignore how his body tensed from merely being near the princess. No, he told himself, she would never return his feelings. Her heart belonged to Liu Kang, and he had to learn to accept that.

"What is the real reason for your request to speak with me in private?" He demanded.

Kitana narrowed her eyes."I suggest you soften your tone lest you prefer I use my blades to soften it for you." She sighed."Let us make one thing clear, Rain: I do not trust you. When you came to the Netherrealm to ask for my help, you did so because of how low morale was for the Edenian Resistance following Mileena's execution and Tanya's attempt on your life, only to change your mind and agree to an alliance with myself and Kotal Kahn after discovering the truth about Raiden. For all I know, you could be planning our downfalls as we speak, so I will give you a warning: do not betray the Edenian Resistance a second time or I will make you wish for death."

Rain lifted his chin."If you are so wary of me, why not kill me now?"

"Because we are in desperate need of allies if we are to survive the coming war and Ruby was kind enough to vouch for you." She smirked at his flabbergasted expression."I was taken aback as well, but she respects you as a capable leader and kombatant and I trust her judgement."

"Are you certain we are speaking of the same Ruby?" Rain asked, eyebrows raised. Ruby, the person who'd spat on him and never hesitated to voice her dislike for him, had vouched for him? Were pigs flying now as well?

Kitana chuckled."I assure you that we are." Her smile faltered."Do not mistake respect for trust, however. I do not know what we will do after Raiden has been dealt with, but I do know that this may be your chance, as well as my own, for redemption."

"Why do you assume **I** wish for redemption?"

"While you can be, in Ruby's words, a selfish prick, your reaction to Taven insulting your mother a moment ago tells me there is still good within you." She placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened at her touch. What was it about this woman that made him so damn uncomfortable whenever she was near him?

"There is another matter we must discuss." Kitana continued."Subtle as you are, I am aware of your...feelings toward me."

Rain's eyes widened."I..." He was tongue-tied. The son of Argus and self-proclaimed prince of Edenia was tongue-tied. He cast a quick glance at the sky, genuinely curious as to when he would see flying pigs up there. His eyes quickly lowered to avoid looking at her face.

She tilted his chin up and gestured to her eyes."Unless my eyes have suddenly moved from my face to my chest, I suggest you keep your gaze up here." It took all of Rain's energy not blush as he struggled to form a response.

Kitana raised an eyebrow."Did you think I was unaware of Shao Kahn's false promise of my hand in marriage alongside leadership of your own army?" A laugh escaped her lips."Or that I failed to notice the way you gazed at me when we arrived to stop Raiden as he was about to kill Ruby? Liu Kang noticed as well and is quite irritated. Fortunately, he trusts me to handle the situation how I see fit. All I need to know is if your feelings will not distract you from our current objective."

Rain shook his head, shrugging her hand off his shoulder."Nothing will distract me from our objective."

Kitana pursed her lips."I hope for both of our sakes that you are telling the truth."

"I am." He said firmly.

Kitana fixed him with a hard stare. After a moment, she nodded."Very well." She sighed and rubbed her temples."We will have to continue this meeting later. Mother and I must speak with Kotal Kahn about some political matters." She called for the others, waiting until Sindel exited the tent before they headed into the palace while Jade opened a portal and shoved Taven into it. The older demigod threw Rain a glare before leaving. Rain did not hesitate to return the glare.

Ruby was the last to leave. Rain's hand shot out catch her wrist. She gave him a half-annoyed, half-confused look. Keeping his tone flat, he asked,"Why did you vouch for me?"

Her eyes widened, but quickly narrowed."We're not in a position where we can afford to lose any allies." He could not deny that her answer made sense.

"I see." He tilted his head. What he said next caught both of them off guard."Thank you."

Ruby stiffened."I did it for Edenia's sake, not yours." She nodded."But you're welcome nonetheless."

Releasing her wrist, Rain watched her as she walked away. She stopped briefly to glance at him over her shoulder."Oh, and Rain?"

"Yes?"

She smirked."You might want to put some ice on that bruise."

* * *

 _This chapter was written simultaneously with the last one, so it made for a quicker and better update._

 _I'm well aware of the fact that Taven's a jerk in this chapter and there's a reason for that. One thing that annoyed me about Argus's sons was how boring they all were. Taven was so predictable while Rain and Daegon were both so whiny and arrogant and after seeing what Daegon has done as well being told of Rain's treacherous history, is it really that much of a surprise that Taven is distrusting and unkind toward toward Rain to say the least? The way I see it he's grieving for his parents and is angry with Daegon but Daegon isn't there at the moment so he's taking his anger out on his other brother. So yeah, there is a lot of character development for these demigod dweebs to do._

 _Anyway, until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 37:Ermac/Jerrod_


	38. Chapter 37:ErmacJerrod

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"When you kill a man, You steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, Rob his children of a father."  
— Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner)

 **Chapter 37:Ermac/Jerrod**

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Ermac's POV:

"You will free Edenia."

The statement was delivered in a blunt, matter-of-fact tone by mother and daughter in unison. They stood side by side while Ruby and ten Edenian soldiers stood behind them, not the least bit surprised by their words. One thing was clear: Sindel and Kitana had planned to make this demand and would not tolerate rejection.

Ermac did not need to look at Kotal Kahn to know the emperor was gawking. He could have sworn he heard Jerrod chuckling. Erron Black raised an eyebrow, clearly sharing Ermac's doubt that Kotal would grant the demand made of him. Reptile and Ferra were nowhere in sight. The former had left for Earthrealm without explanation hours earlier while the latter was with Torr and Sheeva in the infirmary. Were they present, they would also have been shocked.

It had come as a surprise to say the least to see any of the former revenants up so soon, but it made sense. They could not afford to waste time with the tournament only days away. Personal feelings needed to be put aside. None of them could afford to break down when there was a bloodthirsty Thunder God to defeat and a war with said Thunder God soon to come.

Ermac felt a smile tug at his lips as Shao Kahn started shouting childish insults at his stepdaughter and former wife, prompting Jerrod to tell him to shut up. The being of 10,000 souls coughed into his hand to hide a chuckle. Sindel's eyes briefly flickered to him, no doubt suspecting the conflict within him. A hint of longing glinted in her eyes. She was thinking about her husband. That much was clear.

Shao Kahn screamed that he was her true husband as he had won the right to claim her as his prize and that the same applied to Kitana. Unsurprisingly, Jerrod responded that Sindel and Kitana were not prizes to be won and for the fallen emperor to, once again, shut up. These arguments were not uncommon. Ermac had grown used to them by now, and knew that Jerrod always won.

Ermac's loyalty to Shao Kahn had diminished into nothing over the years. The same went for Mileena. He may have cared for his 'sister' in the past, but she was an awful ruler who, as Jerrod accurately put it, disgraced Kitana's name. The Edenian king played no small part in Ermac turning against Mileena and Ermac valued his council. It was true that Kotal Kahn made some questionable decisions, yet he made them in order to protect Outworld. He cared for his subjects, earning their respect and loyalty. Those were things his predecessors could never accomplish. Shao Kahn was a conquerer and Mileena an immature child. Both had gotten what they deserved for their foolishness. As Ermac told Kotal days ago, the Osh-Tekk was the only true ruler he'd ever seen in his entire lifetime.

Crossing her arms, Kitana raised an eyebrow at the lack of response from Kotal. Sindel tilted her head, her blank expression matching that of her daughter. Sighing, Kitana turned to Ruby and flicked her head in Kotal's direction. As if responding to her silent question, Ruby shrugged and smirked. The sound of Sindel clearing her throat snapped the emperor from his stupor.

"Are you done staring like an idiot now?" Ruby inquired, laughter in her throat.

Kotal ignored her, his attention focused solely on the two royals before him."You make a bold request." His eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"It is not a request." Kitana said dryly."Rather, a statement of fact. We are aware of your hesitation to create a free Edenia. Tanya is a fool and Mileena an even bigger one for trusting her. I know both my clone and Tanya as I do the back of my hand. Therefore, I understand why you would hesitate to free my realm when dealing with one as treacherous as Tanya. Or Rain, for that matter."

"Rain's goal is to steal my throne. He cares not for Edenia." Kotal stated, resting his cheek on his fist."Even if I were willing to do this, how do I know Rain's own treacherous history will not shine as well?"

"I've made it clear to Rain what I will do to him if he betrays our people a second time." Kitana said with a wave of her hand."He knows his place. And at moment, his goal, like the rest of us, is survival."

Kotal shook his head."Regardless, Edenia is a part of Outworld now. Edenians are my subjects."

Kitana glared at him."Did you not hear me? This is not a request. You **will** do what we say. It is the least you can do in return for the aid Liu Kang and I have given you."

"Your reason for joining forces with us was fear that Raiden would target Netherrealm next, if I recall correctly."

"I no longer care for Netherrealm. I care for my true home: Edenia."

Sindel stepped forward, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder."Kotal." Her tone was polite, but firm."We are not asking for all of Outworld. We merely wish to reclaim what is rightfully ours. Is that truly too much to ask? You know of how well Jerrod and I did as rulers of Edenia before Shao Kahn's invasion. My daughter will do even better."

Kitana's eyes widened as she turned to gape at her mother. With a smile, Sindel gently closed her daughter's mouth."My time as queen ended long ago. Yours is just beginning."

Jerrod and Shao Kahn both fell silent. Ermac found himself feeling touched by the exchange between mother and daughter. They were clearly traumatized by their experiences as revenants, yet they pushed through it for the sake of their people and leaned on each other for support. In troubling times like these, it was a wise thing to do.

"Kitana." The softness of Kotal's voice caused the princess to give him a suspicious look."Once Raiden is defeated, I will free Edenia, but you must give me something in return."

"And what might that be?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"A permanent truce between our realms. And no, I am not referring to a non-aggression pact. What I wish for is an alliance. Should a threat like this ever rise again to either if not both of our realms, Outworld and Edenia will stand together as allies."

"Do you plan on requesting this of Fujin as well?"

"I would not blame the Earthrealmers for hesitating to trust me. My recent actions have earned me their distrust and contempt. It is my hope, however, that our differences can be put aside not merely until Raiden has been dealt with. Perhaps we may even help one another rebuild in the aftermath of the war."

Kitana seemed torn between gratitude and caution."That is a generous offer, emperor."

"Too generous if you ask me." Ruby muttered, rolling her eyes.

"As I said, my recent actions have earned me contempt and distrust from others. I desire to atone for my mistakes. If you will allow me to, that is."

Ermac spoke for the first time."What of the Tarkatans?"

Kitana avoided eye contact as she replied,"They are welcome in Edenia so long as they do not cause trouble as Baraka and Mileena did. I would be lying if I denied being surprised by their loyalty to me."

Kotal gave a light shrug."Perhaps they see in you a wisdom and potential that Mileena lacked. I also do not think it would I be wise for them to stay here. Ferra/Torr have an unpleasant history with their species."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You may prefer to ask Ferra instead. I assure you she will be much more enthusiastic in her explanation. That, and she seems quite fond of you." Kotal stood from his throne and approached Kitana to offer a handshake."Do we have a deal then?"

Kitana frowned as she gazed at his hand for a long moment. Her eyes met those of Sindel and Ermac before giving Kotal a nod and accepting the offered handshake."Yes, Kotal Kahn. We have a deal."

As the Edenians left the room, Erron nudged Ermac and pointed at the door."I'd go after 'em if I were you."

"As would I." Kotal said as he sat back down in his throne.

Ermac asked Jerrod if he wanted to speak with his family. The Edenian was silent for several seconds, during which Shao Kahn laughed at him for being such a coward. Ermac paid no attention to the former emperor.

Jerrod eventually answered,"Yes."

"Very well." Ermac whispered as he allowed Jerrod to take control and hurried to catch up with Sindel and Kitana.

* * *

Jerrod's POV:

"Wait!"

Sindel and Kitana froze in place when they heard his voice calling out to them. Jerrod was relieved to see they hadn't ignored him. As he caught up with them, Ruby gave Kitana a concerned look. Kitana nodded assuringly. The red-clan woman nodded back and left with the soldiers, though not before shooting Jerrod a glance as he came to a stop in front of his wife and daughter.

"Come." Sindel said as she and Kitana led him to a tent, ushered him inside, and pulled the curtain down for privacy. The two women immediately dropped their professional masks and gave him a good look at their traumatized, exhausted visages. Jerrod had to give them credit for managing to stay so strong for the last few hours. Elder Gods knew how badly they yearned to get away from prying eyes so they could break down in private.

"Were you aware?" Sindel's voice was barely above a whisper. At his confused expression, she elaborated,"Were you aware of what was happening around you when Kitana and I...when we were in Shao Kahn's service?

Kitana added,"Or Quan Chi's for that matter?"

Jerrod lowered his eyes."Yes. Painfully so. Shao Kahn and I...we spent several years fighting for dominance. Shao Kahn wished to increase the conflict within Ermac so he could take control whereas my goal was to end it. We were in the middle of one of our battles whilst you, Kabal, and Kurtis Stryker fought with Kotal Kahn and his men. It took all of my strength to cry out to you, my love." He reached for her hand. She shook her head, refusing to take it.

Kitana watched the exchange between her parents, not bothering to prevent tears from running down her face. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked away, choking on a sob. This caught the attention of her parents. Sindel marched over to her daughter and pulled her into an embrace. She stroked her head gently and began to cry as well.

Jerrod's heart broke. He was to blame for their sorrow and trauma. He had failed to protect his realm and family and this was his punishment. How many tears had they shed in his absence? His beloved wife had been forced to wed a madman, to share his bed, to endure Elder Gods knew how many rapes. Sindel was resurrected twice by Quan Chi as a brainwashed murderess. Kitana, an infant at the time of Edenia's fall, had been lied to for most of her life. A tyrant raised her, created a clone to replace her, tried to execute her when she discovered the existence of said clone, had her mother brainwashed in order to kill most of her friends while she watched helplessly. Both of them would have to live with the guilt, the memories of the things they did for Shao Kahn, Quan Chi, and Shinnok, the knowledge that they had come to enjoy those things...

"How can you still love me," Sindel murmured as a tear ran her cheek,", after what I have done?" She tightened her grip on Kitana."I killed so many, including our own daughter. I do not deserve anyone's love or forgiveness."

"Father." Kitana mumbled, her voice muffled due to her head being buried in the former queen's shoulder. She did not try to slip from the embrace, but lifted her head so she could be heard clearly. She turned to Jerrod."Jade, Ruby, and I...we fought against our own people, assisted in the original resistance's destruction, yet you do not despise us as you should."

"None of you were aware of the truth at the time." Jerrod stated as he fought the urge to pull the two most important woman in his life whom he had failed to protect into his arms and wipe away their tears.

"I am much as of a monster as Shao Kahn." Sindel hissed."I wish I'd stayed dead."

" **No**!" Jerrod's eyes widened in horror as he was in front of them in a second, shaking his head vehemently."I lost you both once before. I will not do so again. I am to blame for your fates. If I had not lost the Mortal Kombat tournaments-"

"Shao Kahn would have found a way." Kitana said sadly."He always did. He knew how to get what he wanted."

Sindel nodded in agreement."That he did."

Jerrod smiled wanly."He did not get Earthrealm. Shao Kahn is dead. We are not. He will never again do to anyone else what he did to us."

"No." Kitana agreed softly as she looked at him with a hopeful smile."I suppose not."

Mother and daughter exchanged a glance before the latter extended a hand to Jerrod as if asking him to join their embrace. Rather than take her hand, he stepped forward and pulled them both into his arms. It felt right having them in his arms again after such a long time. He could hear Shao Kahn yelling curses while Ermac told him to be quiet and was content to ignore the dead emperor.

Losing his family once had been hard enough. It would not happen a second time.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 38:Kai_


	39. Chapter 38:Kai

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"A sadness came over me. Returning to Kabul was like running into an old, forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he'd become homeless and destitute."  
— Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner)

 **Chapter 38:Kai**

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Time had not been kind to Liu Kang.

That much was clear to Kai as he looked at the former revenant who was leaning against the balcony and gazing at the ground below in deep thought. The last time Kai saw Liu Kang was before the Mortal Kombat tournament. He remembered how honored his friend had been to represent Earthrealm in the tournament and how proud both Raiden and Bo' Rai Cho were. Although Kung Lao was kind enough to congratulate the then would-be champion, there was no hiding his vexation at being defeated.

Kai had been so happy for his comrade, but that happiness turned to sorrow when news of not only Liu Kang's but Kung Lao's death as well reached him. He could not stay with the White Lotus Society afterwards; the memories were too painful. Nor could he look Raiden in the eye without having to resist the urge to attack the deity. The rational part of him knew Raiden genuinely regretted the deaths of his allies and was not to blame while the emotional part of him wanted to wrap his hands around the Thunder God's throat.

For years Kai traveled on a quest for self-enlightenment, trying to find his place in the world and a way to move on from his grief. He kept in touch with Bo' Rai Cho and occasionally spoke with Fujin. Raiden, however, he avoided like a plague. Kai truly wanted to forgive Raiden, yet grief prevented him from doing so. Raiden understood; he let the former White Lotus monk have his space and never pursued him.

It was only out of respect for Liu Kang and Kung Lao that Kai assisted in the fight against Shinnok during the fallen Elder God's first invasion by fighting alongside Bo' Rai Cho on the sidelines. He left as soon as Shinnok was defeated, ignoring Bo' Rai Cho's pleas that he speak with Raiden. What could he say?

 _Oh, Raiden, I wish I could forgive you for unintentionally causing the deaths of my two closest friends, but every time I see you, I want to strangle you!_

Now that would have been a lovely choice of words, Kai thought sarcastically as he heaved a sigh. Fujin and Bo' Rai Cho found and informed him of the situation. Raiden had been corrupted in the process of purifying the Jinsei from Shinnok's corruption and was now the monster Kai had struggled not to view him as for the past twenty-two years. The irony was not lost on him.

What shocked Kai the most, however, was the revelation that the revenants were finally free. After so many years of believing his friends to be lost forever, they were alive once more. Not the monstrous husks of their former selves that Quan Chi turned them into, but living beings. Kai was torn between joy at the news and pity when he saw how broken Liu Kang, his former mentor and longtime friend, was in the aftermath of his resurrection. The same applied to Kung Lao and the other ex-revenants. Then again, what did he expect? One did not simply recover from over two decades of slavery under a coldhearted sorcerer and pompous Elder God as from a simple bruise.

Liu Kang turned his head to look at Kai."What have you been up to these past several years?" He seemed desperate to break the silence, so Kai humored him.

Kai crossed his arms."After you and Kung Lao died, I lost interest in becoming a Shaolin warrior. I couldn't stay with the White Lotus Society...or be near Raiden for that matter. I knew deep down inside that he wasn't to blame for what happened to you or the others, but my grief kept me from forgiving or even speaking to him. Do you blame him for...?" He trailed off.

Liu Kang frowned."I cannot help but resent him for what he did to me, but he was like a father to me once. Now he is a monster, perhaps even more so than I was during my time in Quan Chi's service."

Kai placed a tentative hand on his friend's shoulder."I'm sorry, Liu Kang."

"As am I, Kai." The former revenant nodded."You did not entirely answer my question."

"I've been wandering the Earth, searching for my soul. That kind of thing." Kai replied."I kept in touch with Master Bo' Rai Cho and Fujin and even helped a little during Shinnok's first invasion. I had no contact with Raiden, though. He respected me enough to give me the space and time I needed, which I'm grateful for. Liu Kang, whatever you did as a revenant is nothing compared to the atrocities Raiden has committed."

"You cannot **begin** to imagine the things I did as a revenant!" Liu Kang hissed."Why should I be given a second chance while the people whose lives I ruined or ended do not receive the same chance? As champion, my duty is protect Earthrealm, yet I have failed miserably to fulfill that obligation."

Kai shook his head."It's Raiden's duty to protect Earthrealm as well if his title of Protector of Earthrealm is anything to go by, yet he has failed spectacularly in that regard." No bitterness or sarcasm touched his tone; he spoke calmly and matter-of-factly.

He did not hate Raiden so much as he hated how what he'd done and become. From decapitating Shinnok, manipulating Scorpion into serving him, invading Outworld, kidnapping Cassandra Cage, nearly destroying the Lin Kuei, attacking the Edenian Resistance, to now posing a threat to the very same realm he swore to protect. There was no excusing, forgiving, or understanding his actions. Raiden turned into a monster no better than the villains he'd fought over the years and like Shinnok and Shao Kahn before him, he needed to be stopped and put down like the beast he was.

"I would prefer not to discuss this at the moment." Liu Kang whispered."The memories are...overwhelming."

Kai gave a sympathetic nod."Just remember you're not alone in this, Liu Kang. I'm here if you ever need to talk."

"I know." A wan smile crossed the former champion's lips."And thank you."

Kai nodded curtly then grinned as he changed the subject."On a different note, maybe you'd like to tell me about you and the Edenian princess."

Liu Kang's smile vanished."My relationship with Kitana is none of your concern, Kai." He rolled his eyes when he saw the grin on Kai's face."And please wipe that grin off your face. I receive enough teasing from Kung Lao and my other fellow ex-revenants without you adding to my vexation."

"Fine." Kai put his hands up, still grinning."I'll just ask Kung Lao instead. I'm sure he'll be **very** happy to tell me all about you and your girlfriend."

Liu Kang's eyes widened as he pointed at Kai."I swear by the Elder Gods, if you even think of-"

"Oh, Kung Lao!" Kai yelled, already on his way out of the room.

"Kai! Don't you dare-"

"Kung Lao!" Kai repeated, opening the door and laughing when Liu Kang bolted after him, shouting at him to stop.

Kai chuckled to himself. It was good to have his old friends back. It was true that they had much recovery to do, but he would stand beside them and help them get through it.

After all, that's what friends were for.

* * *

 _Sadly, we didn't get much of Kai other than basic storylines so I wasn't entirely sure how to write him but I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter regardless. Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Very funny. I'm going to assume you know who Kai is and if you don't well feel free to look it up. ;) I admit he's not the most popular or well-known character but I like him well enough._

 _Jarjaxle - I responded to your review in a PM._

 _SwifteForeverAndAlways - Glad to hear you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

 _Next up: Chapter 39:Nitara_


	40. Chapter 39:Nitara

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I want my people to be protected, strong, and not to be driven into corners until they either become killers or are killed!"  
— Cassandra Clare (Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale (The Bane Chronicles, #3))

 **Chapter 39:Nitara**

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She had lost her realm; she would not lose her people too.

This was what Nitara told herself when she agreed to ally with Raiden in exchange for the chance to defeat the demoness Ashrah who wielded Datusha. Vaeternus's freedom was naught but a dream. No matter which side she chose, her realm would never be free. Kotal Kahn made it clear he intended to keep what he already had, including Vaeternus. Raiden intended to merge the realms. Nitara hadn't wanted to join him, but the chance to stop Ashrah accompanied by a threat to destroy her people if she rejected his offer swayed her to his side.

Raiden promised to keep the vampires alive, but there were fates worse than death and she feared her race would be the next to learn that. If he had no issue attacking the Lin Kuei, whose grandmaster he once called a friend, why would he hesitate to do the same to a group he barely knew? The Thunder God was a master manipulator, sadist, and monster who made Shao Kahn and Shinnok combined look like petulant children. Were she not so afraid of him, there might have been room in her heart to hate him. It was difficult enough living under Shao Kahn and Mileena's tyrannical reigns. Kotal Kahn, at the very least, was a fair ruler. That was more than what could be said for Shao Kahn and his false daughter.

What did vampires ever do to deserve this cruel fate? Earthrealmers either feared or held a disturbing obsession toward them. What was the name of that series again? Twilight? Yes, that was it. The imagination of Earthrealmers never failed to vex Nitara. They were fortunate their realm's light was hazardous to vampires, preventing them from teaching the humans a lesson about true vampires.

She thought flying a little through the skies of Seido would calm her nerves, but it only hardened the tension within her. Her people looked to her as a leader, yet she was a failure. Were she not so worried about what Raiden would do to her people or the danger Ashrah posed by wielding Datusha, she would have followed in Kahil Grigesh's footsteps by committing hara-kiri.

Solitude did not bring peace, just more frustration. Ashrah may be too stubborn to listen to reason, but Sareena could be reasoned with. Perhaps if she found a way to speak with Quan Chi's ex-concubine, she could convince her to make Ashrah see the truth about the blade she wielded. She could also act as a mole for Fujin's forces. It was a risk, one she wasn't sure was worth taking. If Raiden found out, the consequences would be severe and she did not want to vex him as some of his other enforcers did.

 _I do what I must to protect my race._

Was she really protecting her fellow vampires? Or was she simply stalling if not quickening their extinction?

Her alliance with Raiden was hanging onto a thread that could be cut anytime. He made that clear when he electrocuted her into unconsciousness. She awoke an hour later, telling Hotaru she was going to get some fresh air. He allowed her to leave, though not without demanding she not attack the Seidans and be back before curfew, to which she agreed. It was not like she needed to drain anyone, since Raiden was kind enough to put several whine bottles filled with blood in Nitara and Skarlet's rooms. How considerate of him. She did not want to know where he got the blood from.

The sun was starting to set. She sighed as she remembered her promise to Hotaru. She quickly returned to their base of operations, greeting Hotaru with a nod he returned whilst speaking with his men about two traitors that had been discovered as allies of Darrius. She knew she had to walk past the meeting room where the Red Dragon trio were conversing with Raiden on her way to her quarters. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Daegon pompously sitting in a chair with a glass of wine in one hand while Skarlet rubbed his shoulders and Goro stood to the side with his arms crossed as Raiden talked about the tournament.

Nitara rolled her eyes at the sight of Skarlet, who'd traded her old revealing red outfit and black bodysuit for a crimson catsuit, no doubt to look more attractive to Daegon so he wouldn't tire of her. It was painfully obvious that Skarlet was still disgruntled at her defeat at Ruby's hands if the way she grumbled about the red-clad Edenian was any hint.

Jarek and Tremor didn't acknowledge her as she passed them in the hall. Kano, on the other hand, made sure to throw her a wink. She rolled her eyes at him as well as the glare Tasia shot her. Tanya and D'Vorah were both out on the balcony. The white-eyed Edenian was practicing her kicks whilst D'Vorah sat petting one of her children. Tanya gave Nitara a smirk that she ignored.

What desperate little whores Tanya, Tasia, and Skarlet were. No wonder Mileena, Kano, and Daegon accepted them into their service: they needed a pleasure slave, although none of them would ever admit it. D'Vorah at least had Nitara's respect as she knew her looks would serve no purpose in swaying someone into accepting her as ally, so she used her brain. Respect did not mean trust or friendship, however.

The Kytinn made Nitara uncomfortable whenever she was near her. When D'Vorah asked why she made the vampire so uncomfortable, Nitara responded,"Have you never looked in a mirror? Reptile is more pleasant to look at than you." Needless to say, the Kytinn was irritated by this. Nitara couldn't care less.

Although the walk to her quarters took no more than five minutes, it like five hours. She closed the door, leaned against it, slid into sitting position on the floor, pulled her knees to her chest, and rested her chin on them. A frown marred her darkly attractive features as dread filled her heart. In less than 3 days, the tournament would begin and she would have to fight for Raiden. Ashrah would leap for joy at the chance to fight Nitara and kill her with that damned Datusha blade. Fujin might be willing to listen to her if she could somehow get a moment to speak with him in private without Raiden or her fellow lackeys' knowledge.

Fear of Raiden mixed with desperation to escape him at these conflicting thoughts of hers. She rubbed her temples, groaning. No matter what she did, she would be taking a tremendous risk that could cost her people their lives. At the moment they saw her as a hero. If she made one tragic mistake, they would see her as a villain. Her legacy would be that of a foolish girl who'd ruined the vampires by making a single error in judgement. And that was assuming Raiden didn't eliminate her entire race to prevent them from remembering her at all.

This fear was a fate worse than date, one that frightened her more than she was wiling to admit.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - You're right to say that I'm not a big fan of Raiden, but I don't hate him. At least not in the new timeline. In the original timeline I hated him. In the current timeline I felt really sorry for him because it was obvious how traumatized, confused, and sorry he was. So to answer your question, in the old timeline he was a stupid hero that Ed Boon that tried to make look like a tragic here whereas in the reboot he actually is a tragic hero. That's my opinion. Do with what you will. ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 40:Taven_


	41. Chapter 40:Taven

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Fathers and sons and brothers, all of us tall and strong and failing. But all of us trying."  
— Sam Lansky (The Gilded Razor: A Memoir)

 **Chapter 40:Taven**

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As much as Taven hated to admit it, he owed Rain an apology.

His mother had given him a long lecture on the importance of not antagonizing their allies and insulting people he knew nothing about. Jade took great amusement in watching this happen if the way she teased him afterwards was any hint. Rain was a traitor to his people, but he did not ask to be conceived through infidelity. Whatever the nature of Argus's relationship with the Hydromancer's mother, he had no right to insult her. Elder Gods knew he'd also react with violence if anyone called his mother a whore.

In all honestly, Daegon was the one Taven was mad at. But Daegon was not here and Rain's treacherous history provided Taven with good reason to be cross with him. They would have to put aside their differences, however, to defeat Raiden and Daegon. No doubt Daegon had grown stronger and wiser over the years, perhaps even strong enough to finally beat his older brother.

A wave of sadness touched the demigod as he thought of the brother whom he'd played with and defeated so often. Daegon had always been jealous of him, but it was a playful kind of jealous. Taven fondly remembered their competitions, how he would trap Daegon in a headlock while Daegon laughingly promised to beat him next time. There were times when Daegon won fair and square, as Taven knew his younger brother would be able to tell if he let him win.

Daegon assumed that their parents had favored their eldest son. Oh, how wrong he was. Argus may have shown favoritism toward his older son, yet the exact opposite was the case with Delia. Their mother spent more time with her youngest than her eldest. Never could Taven forget how his mother and brother would sit together and talk over tea until Argus called the two demigods for training. There was no hiding the disappointment in Daegon's eyes every time he left their mother's company. No wonder he and Rain grew so bitter toward their father.

Despite the deep respect Taven had for his father, he was more dutiful than fatherly. Rain was not wrong when he claimed Argus could not "keep it in his pants" as Earthrealmers liked to say. Elder God or not, should family not come first before duty? Taven honestly could not recall a single time his father uttered the words 'I love you' to his wife or sons. The closest he'd ever come to saying this was when he expressed his pride in his sons. Would Taven become like Argus when he took over as Protecter of Edenia? The mere thought sent a chill down his spine.

Then there was Raiden. The Thunder God had been a good friend to Taven's family, more so than Fujin, who preferred isolation. To think that something as simple as purifying the Jinsei had turned the once kind, wise diety devoted to protecting Earthrealm into a bloodthirsty monster guilty of kidnapping and murder. How many lives had been lost or ruined as a result of Raiden's actions? Did Raiden even care about those lives? Sorrow filled Taven as he realized how much he'd lost: a father, a brother, and a friend. What would his mother do once their goal was accomplished? She could not stay in Jade's body forever. He would lose her too. All the more reason for him to value what little he had left before he lost it.

Night had fallen just a few hours ago. Even with the torches lined up, it was practically pitch dark outside, forcing Taven to form a pair of fireballs in his palms to light his way. He was about to enter Rain's tent when he heard voices inside. Although he easily recognized Rain's voice, it took him a total of ten seconds to realize the other voice belonged to Ruby.

The fireballs in his palms vanished. He used the darkness to use his advantage, keeping himself hidden from view. Rain was leaning over a map on the table while Ruby stood beside him, inspecting her nails as she talked about Kitana and Sindel's meeting with Kotal Kahn.

"So Kotal Kahn has agreed to free Edenia then?" Rain asked absently, not taking his eyes off the map.

"Wow, Rain." Ruby's voice was filled with sarcasm."You **almost** sound like you care."

"I do not." He replied, still not bothering to remove his gaze from the map."I am merely curious."

"Curiosity implies care, which we both know you have none of for Edenia."

"Then why, pray tell, are you telling me news that I do not care to hear?"

"Because like it or not, you're an Edenian and you a have right to know about the liberation of our homeland."

"Would you tell Tanya about this if she were here?"

"Yes, I would." She stated with a straight face."Right before exiling her from Edenia for life." Not once did her blank expression falter as she spoke.

"And what of Mileena? She was half-Edenian, after all."

"Mileena wasn't a true Edenian. Sharing blood with an Edenian princess doesn't make her Edenian. Just like being the son of a god doesn't make **you** a god."

"And being the adoptive son of a well-known general did not make me worthy of leading the Edenian Resistence either, it seems." Rain grumbled."The original one, at least." He sounded so much like a petulant child that Taven had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

Ruby fell silent. Sighing, she folded her hands in her lap and looked at the floor with a frown. Rain did not spare her a glance, though the narrowing of his eyes conveyed a bit of discomfort at her sudden silence. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke in a tone barely above a whisper,"Your mother. What was she like?"

Rain's brows knitted into a frown as he finally looked at her."Why do you ask?"

She shrugged as she ran her fingers through the ash brown tresses of her ponytail."You always talk about your father and adoptive father, but I've never heard you talk about your mother. Judging by your reaction to Taven insulting her today, you two must have been close. I'm merely curious, so humor me if you will."

"Curiosity implies care."

She tilted her head."Perhaps I do care." That caught him off guard if the widening of his eyes was any indication.

Rain sighed. With a hint of sadness, he replied,"She died when I was too young to remember her. I recall how fondly my adoptive father, King Jerrod, Queen Sindel, and even your father spoke of her. I know from what they told me that she was beautiful, kind, wise, and loved me with all her heart. In her dying breaths, she made her husband promise to take care of me. He kept his promise."

Ruby wiped her eyes."At least you didn't kill your mother." At his perplexed expression, she said,"She died giving birth to me. My father was killed during Shao Kahn's invasion as well. I don't even know what my parents looked like. Sindel reluctantly told me that my father blamed me for my mother's death and couldn't even stand to look at me. But you already know that, don't you?"

If Taven didn't know any better, he might have assumed he saw a glint of pity in his half-brother's eyes at Ruby's words. After a moment, he said,"Perhaps it is better that you never knew him."

She chuckled bitterly."He hated me that much?"

"Yes." The hydromancer responded bluntly yet softly. His eyes narrowed."I am sorry."

Taven frowned when he realized the pity in Rain's eyes was genuine and found himself pitying the hydromancer.

"So am I." Ruby whispered then gave him a puzzled look."Why the sudden interest in Tanya and Mileena? And do **not** say it's merely curiosity because that implies care."

"It does not."

"Rain, exactly two minutes ago, you used my own words against me and now you're saying I'm wrong? Do you realize how inconsistent you're being?"

There was no denying the smirk beneath his mask."I was simply 'messing with you' as they say in Earthrealm."

She gawked at him."You have a sense of humor? Will I see flying pigs anytime soon as well?"

"Charming and pleasant as ever."

"More so than you, Your Divineness." She laughed at the irritated look he gave her. What she said next gave Taven the shock of his life."On a different note, you are aware we're being spied on, yes?"

Rain scoffed."Of course I am. Do you take me for a fool?" He scowled beneath his mask at her smile."Do not answer that." He made his way to the entrance of the tent where Taven was no longer attempting to hide himself from their view. The glare Rain gave him was so cold it brought new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

"It is impolite to eavesdrop." The purple-clad demigod said dryly, crossing his arms."May I ask what you are doing here?" His voice was filled with contempt and irritation.

Taven took a deep breath."I wished to apologize for earlier. It was wrong of me to speak ill of your mother-"

Rain held up a hand to interrupt him. He waited until Taven was silent before lowering his hand and narrowing his eyes at the eldest son of Argus."Let me make one thing clear, brother." He contemptuously spat the familial form of address."I do not care for you, Daegon, Delia, or Argus. My true family died long ago. Therefore, I suggest you take your apology and, as Earthrealmers like to say, shove it where the sun does not shine."

That being he said, he pulled down the curtain, banishing Taven from his sight. Ruby snickered in the background, torn between being amused and impressed by the hydromancer's declaration.

For a good three minutes, Taven stood there like an idiot as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. Slowly, he turned and walked away, grumbling to himself.

"Truly, father, you have done an excellent job in your parental duties." He muttered."One son has gone mad due to greed and jealousy, another son was rejected by you and has become a traitor to his people, and your eldest son," He sighed,",prays to the Elder Gods that he does not end up like you." He scratched his head."What did he even mean by 'where the sun does not shine'?" It took him a total of fifteen seconds to figure out the meaning of the phrase and when he did, his eyes widened.

"Of course..." He mumbled as he shook his head and continued walking.

No one noticed a certain green-clad, glowing blue-eyed woman watching from the shadows with a frown on her face.

"Oh, Argus," Delia said with a sigh and shake of her head,", why couldn't you listen to me for once?"

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 41:Reptile_


	42. Chapter 41:Reptile

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I am not forsaken! I'm no longer alone in the darkness! Before my eyes I see a thousand little devils lighting black candles along the path which leads toward the edge...the blindingly beautiful edge."  
— Susan Kay (Phantom)

 **Chapter 41:Reptile**

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He was no longer alone.

This realization left Reptile torn between joy, shock, and perplexity as he knelt before the female Raptor seated cross-legged in front of him with a male standing at her side. She wore a turquoise gown that seemed to change color every few minutes and had a pair of clear white eyes along with translucent hair and skin. The male beside her was clad in a ninja garb identical in color to her gown and had a pair of glowing green eyes.

The female leaned forward to rest her chin on her fist, giving him a smile that conveyed interest, amusement, and curiosity. The male narrowed his eyes, familial protectiveness glinting in them. Reptile would be lying if he denied enjoying her flirtatious gaze as well as the shock he'd felt upon seeing a group of Raptors emerging from a collapsed cavern exposed during Shinnok's invasion. The group escorted him to their leader without a word, assuring him his questions would be answered along with their own.

Everyone seemed to waiting for Reptile or the female to speak, so the former broke the silence.

"How?" It was all he could bring himself to say. For so many years, he believed his race to be extinct, that he was the sole surviving Raptor...until now.

The female sighed as she folded her hands in her lap."Unlike the others, our ancestors never left Earthrealm for Zaterra and were thus spared from being conquered by Shao Kahn. Like you, we thought we were all that was left of our kind. How were you able to survive?"

Reptile lowered his eyes."I served Shao Kahn for years under the foolish hope that he would eventually help me restore my race if I proved to be a good servant to him." He frowned at the memory of his blind loyalty to the fallen emperor."I was his lackey. My desperation and foolishness prevented me from seeing the truth. After his death, I served his adoptive daughter Mileena and assisted Kotal Kahn in taking the throne from her. I have faithfully served Kotal ever since."

"So you have remained the emperor's lackey?" One Raptor demanded."No true Raptor would lower himself to the status of a mere servant to a fool-"

"Do not speak of the Kahn that way!" Reptile snarled, resisting the urge to attack the other male for daring to speak ill of Kotal.

Long ago, if someone told him he would grow so loyal to Kotal that he would defend him against his own race and be willing to lay down his life for him, he would have spat in their face. His unofficial first meeting with Kotal involved him sleeping with one eye open whilst the Osh-Tekk warrior decided not to to kill him as Shao Kahn ordered him to. His official first meeting with him involved the Zaterran kneeling before him as Shao Kahn expressed his reservations about Kotal's decision to spare and take Reptile under his under his command.

To say Reptile had been wary of his new commander when they began working together would be an understatement, but over time, Kotal earned his trust, respect, loyalty, and friendship. Reptile hadn't thought twice before hurrying to protect Kotal from Mileena's sai.

Shao Kahn and Mileena treated him like dirt, called him names, and underestimated him whereas Kotal gave him the respect he deserved and was as much a leader to him as a friend and brother. Therefore, he felt no reluctance when telling one of his own people to not speak so disrespectfully of the emperor.

"You are quite loyal to this new emperor." The female noted."I cannot imagine why."

Reptile looked her dead in the eye as he said,"He is the first leader to treat me as a living being instead of a mere animal or disposable tool. I will die sooner than abandon or allow anyone to insult him in such a manner."

"Would you abandon your own people for him as well?" She asked, calm and unblinking.

Reptile's eyes widened at the question. **Would** he abandon his own people for Kotal Kahn? For so long, he'd dreamed of restoring his race and ending his loneliness. Now here he was, surrounded by several of his own who were questioning his loyalty. Would he be able to forgive himself if he abandoned his friend? The same friend who spared his life when he could have easily ended it? Was it worth the chance to reunite with his people?

 _I have served you for years and believed in your leadership in a way that I never believed in Shao Kahn or Mileena from the start, Kotal. I will die sooner than abandon you._

No. He would not betray his brother in all but blood. It was because of Kotal that he was even able to stand here now thinking about this.

If there was one thing Reptile despised, it was disloyalty. How often did he speak ill of mercenaries such as Erron Black or Kano? Then again, Erron's interests seemed to be changing as of late. When he first met the gunslinger, Reptile knew he would not hesitate to betray Kotal to the highest bidder, but recently something had changed. Although the cowboy mostly retained his sarcastic personality, he was more serious, paid attention to what Kotal said, bowed to the emperor more often, did not ask about his paycheck...he'd become loyal to Kotal. That much was clear to Reptile; he felt a newfound respect for Erron Black.

"Yes." His heart broke, yet he spoke firmly."I would."

The female's eyes widened as she leaned back in her throne, processing what she'd just been told. The other Raptors were more angry than shocked if the fact that most of them began to shout insults at Reptile and call him a traitor to his people was any hint. Only the female and male beside her were silent. Even though the male avoided looking at him, the female was staring at him with a frown marring her attractive features.

After a moment, she raised a hand to signal the others to cease their verbal assault on the Zaterran. Silence immediately filled the room as she stood from her throne and approached Reptile with slow, heavy steps and extended a hand to him. He accepted the offered hand, saying nothing as she pulled him to his feet and refused to release his hand afterwards.

A simple question from her lips broke the silence."What is your name?"

Reptile made sure to meet her gaze as he answered her question."Many call me Reptile, but my true name is Syzoth."

She gestured to herself."I am Khameleon." She flicked her head toward the male beside her throne."This is my brother: Chameleon." She grimaced."Our parents were not very creative with names."

"No." Shaking his head, Reptile could not prevent a smile from crossing his lips."It is fitting for siblings."

She returned his smile."I suppose so." She waved a hand around the room."Give us a moment alone." Everyone, especially Chameleon, hesitated to follow the order until she lifted an annoyed eyebrow and repeated the command. They left the room, shooting Reptile distrustful glances as they did so.

Once the two of them were alone, Khameleon tightened her grip on Reptile's hand and took his other hand, giving both a small squeeze.

"Tell me more about Kotal Kahn."

* * *

 _Short, but hopefully an enjoyable chapter nonetheless._ _I'm aware that my description of Khameleon is not entirely consistent with how the female Raptor looks in Reptile's ending looked or with Khameleon's appearance in the games, so please refrain from commenting about that. Oh and if anything is confused about how I described Kotal's coup against Mileena, know that I'm using the comic book version not the game version so as far as this story is concerned, D'Vorah's flashback in the game does not exist because I prefer the comic book's portrayal of the coup. Just something I thought I should everyone know._

 _Also, I'm sure you've noticed that I moved up the rating from T to M and that's because I've noticed how much darker this story is becoming with each chapter due to a certain Thunder God and cyber-eyed mercenary's psychopathic tendencies. It's also because I'm going to eventually start including some, ahem, "intimate" scenes in the story so I have to move up the rating. Oh, and it's Mortal Kombat, so naturally as fight scenes start to become more violent (more on that later) I'd **have** to get to a point where the rating needed to be moved up for obvious reasons besides the ones I mentioned. As for the comments I've received about the ex-revenants interacting with their old allies...shrugs mischievously. _

_Until next time, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 42:Smoke_


	43. Chapter 42:Smoke

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother" — Homer (The Odyssey)

 **Chapter 42:Smoke**

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22 Years Ago:

"Sub-Zero!"

Smoke ran up to the cyborg and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling beneath his mask in relief at the sight of his friend unharmed. He had been worried sick ever since he left for Outworld, pacing in circles and muttering under his breath in Czech for hours. This earned him more than a few amused remarks from Kabal and Stryker as the two police officers tried to cheer him up and assure him Kuai Liang would be fine. Jade had to threaten to knock him out so he would calm down.

"Smoke." Kuai Liang nodded."It is good to see you."

Smoke frowned at the sad tone of voice. The tells that let him know there was something bothering his friend did not go away simply because he was a cyborg now.

"Is there something wrong, Kuai Liang?" It was rare for him to address the cryomancer by his real name, so there was an immediate sense of urgency whenever he did so.

Kuai Liang let out what sounded like a sigh."I...I found Bi-Han."

"What?" That made no sense. Bi-Han was dead. How could he-

"Quan Chi resurrected him as he did with Scorpion." Kuai Liang explained, hanging his head."And changed his name to Noob Saibot."

Smoke's eyes widened. He'd seen the dark being during the tournament, but never actually encountered or spoke with him. Now he was being told that this stranger was his deceased comrade.

"I did not recognize him at first." The cyborg continued."He approached me and said I was not worthy of the name Sub-Zero. When I demanded to know who he was to judge, he revealed his identity to me. Now that I think about it, he does bear a strong physical and mental resemblance to his old self. I simply did not pay enough attention to the details to realize this."

Smoke shifted slightly."What happened after he...revealed himself to you?"

"I remarked on how we were both flawed copies of our former selves. He, being the arrogant man he always has been even after death, stated that he had no flaws and that Quan Chi...perfected him." His tone was bitter."I asked him to what end? To serve the Netherrealm and Outworld?"

"What did he say?"

"That it suited his purpose." Another apparent sigh."He told me that we may share blood, but we were not brothers. We fought, I won, and I agreed with him."

"I...I am sorry, Kuai Liang." Smoke could think of nothing else to say. He squeezed Kuai Liang's shoulder, knowing the gesture was empty as the cryomancer could no longer feel thanks to the cyber initiative.

If Smoke didn't know any better, he could have sworn the cyborg was smiling beneath his metallic exterior. His hand came to rest on top of Smoke's."I am not." He said without hesitation."Bi-Han...he was never there for me, nor did he care for anything other than serving the Lin Kuei and making himself stronger. He barely acknowledged me as a person, let alone a brother. Yet I idolized him. Ever since we were children I followed him everywhere and longed for his approval, his acknowledgment, but I never received it. He and I...we were never brothers. My true brother is standing right in front of me."

Smoke gaped at Kuai Liang. He started to reply, but could think of nothing to say. He felt torn between shock and honor at the cryomancer's speech

"Smoke, you and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. You have always been there for me. It was you who consoled me when news of Bi-Hans's death reached us. You chose to abandon the Lin Kuei and accompany me on my quest for vengeance and refused to give up hope for my soul's salvation after I was turned into this." He gestured to himself."Blood does not mean anything, but trust and loyalty...they mean everything. You have given me those things and that, in my eyes, makes you my true brother, not Bi-Han."

Smoke thought about their comrades. He had witnessed firsthand the strength of Jade and Kitana's friendship as well the one between Kabal and Stryker, how they referred to one another as siblings and were devoted to each other in a way that that surpassed blood relations. He and Kuai Liang were no different, he realized. They had both stood by one another through thick and thin, and shared a bond their fellow Lin Kuei would never truly understand.

Kuai Liang was right. They were brothers, and nothing would ever change that.

* * *

Present:

Each step felt heavier than it should, like a pair of dumbbells were chained to his ankles to slow him down.

Smoke knew he could not avoid Kuai Liang forever. News of his and the other revenants' resurrection had no doubt reached him by now. They needed to talk.

It was almost midnight, but Smoke could not sleep and he doubted Kuai Liang would be eager to slip into slumber after days of being unconscious. But what would he say? Did Kuai Liang even care about him anymore? Or had he given up hope on the person he once called a brother? How would he react upon seeing him in his human form for the first time in over twenty years? Would he be happy, disgusted, cruel, and/or kind? Would he feel anything at all or even bother to offer any type of reaction? He sighed and shook his head, knowing he was thinking these thoughts to find an excuse to avoid seeing his friend.

Just as expected, Kuai Liang was the only one awake. Everyone else in the infirmary was asleep. The cryomancer was looking out the window and thus did not notice Smoke standing in the doorway until the enenra cleared his throat to get his attention.

Kuai Liang's eyes widened when he saw Smoke approaching him with slow, heavy steps. His lips twisted into a smile that conveyed a mix of exhaustion and joy."Smoke."

Swallowing thickly, Smoke nodded."Kuai Liang." He tentatively sat down in the chair next to his friend's bed."How do you feel?"

Kuai Liang sighed."I have been better, but I will be fine after a few weeks of rest and recovery." His smile faltered."What about you? I know it cannot be easy-"

"Please do not speak of it." Smoke closed his eyes as he fought against the tears in his eyes."I haven't been able to think of anything else since I woke up screaming this morning."

"I understand the feeling." Kuai Liang said."Of course, I was only a revenant for a few years. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for you and the others."

"It is a fate worse than death." A single tear ran down Smoke's cheek as he spoke. He quickly wiped it away, ashamed of the fact that he'd let himself cry in front of his friend like this."I don't deserve your empathy or anyone else's sympathy."

"Smoke, I am still haunted by my time in Quan Chi's service. The same goes for Hanzo and Jackson Briggs. All three of us still have nightmares every now and then. You are not alone in your trauma."

Smoke narrowed his eyes."Since when are you on a first name basis with Scorpion?"

"He no longer goes by that name."

"Do not avoid the question."

"He and I have made a truce."

Smoke leaned back in his chair, his expression the very picture of shock."When?"

"Five years ago. I was the one who revealed Quan Chi's responsibility for his family as well as Bi-Han's murder." He shook his head."I was not aware of his intention to kill the sorcerer, however, which very nearly destroyed yours and the others' chances of freedom. Had I known, I would have attempted to stop him."

Smoke shook his head."Quan Chi deserved death, just as he deserves his current state of servitude under the Elder Gods. It is pleasing to see the shoe on the other foot."

"Yes." Kuai Liang agreed."That it is."

They fell into silence, neither sure what to say. Smoke was relieved that his friend hadn't rejected him and instead welcomed him with open arms. But he didn't feel worthy of it. How could he feel worthy of anything but shame and self-loathing after everything he'd done? He'd told Johnny Cage and Sareena that Smoke was no more and Enenra was his true name. Now he wasn't sure if he had a true name at all.

Who was he now? Tomas Vrbada, Smoke, Enenra, or all three? Tomas Vrbada was a confused, innocent little boy who'd been burned alive by madmen. Smoke was a Lin Kuei and honorable man devoted to his best friend. Enenra was a coldhearted murderer no better than Noob Saibot and Scorpion. How could he could look his brother in everything but blood in the eye after what he'd done and become?

"I am sorry." The words were delivered in a nearly inaudible tone of voice by Kuai Liang and caught Smoke off guard.

The enenra frowned in perplexity."For what?"

Kuai Liang hung his head as if he were ashamed."I had lost hope for you and the others to be restored. After Quan Chi's death, I thought you were too far gone to be saved. And for that I am sorry."

"Don't be." Smoke whispered."That's in the past. I'm free now. You no longer have to feel guilty about it. I, on the other hand..." He trailed off with a sigh.

Kuai Liang placed a firm hand on his shoulder."I promise I will never abandon you again, brother."

Smoke gawked at him."What did you just call me?"

A smile crossed the cryomancer's lips."Did you think I forgot what I said to you in the cathedral all those years ago? You have been more of a brother to me than Bi-Han ever was. And you always will be. You did not abandon me or give hope for me when I was turned into a cyborg, so I will not do the same to you now that you have been freed from Quan Chi's spell. You will not go through this alone, Smoke. You have my word."

Smoke wiped his eyes."I don't know what to say...other than this: thank you."

Kuai Liang gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, and Smoke felt a bit of hope fill his heart. He could get through this trauma and atone for his crimes.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 43:Daegon_


	44. Chapter 43:Daegon

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Paul sat silently in the darkness, a single stark thought dominating his awareness: My mother is my enemy. She does not know it, but she is. She is bringing the jihad. She bore me; she trained me. She is my enemy."  
— Frank Herbert (Dune)

 **Chapter 43:Daegon**

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Thousands Of Years Ago:

Rage.

This was the emotion Daegon felt as he glared at his father. He held the two swords in his hands, one of which belonged to Taven, in an iron tight grip. He huffed out of his nose and through painfully clenched teeth with each breath he drew. His father gazed back at him with the same stoic expression he always wore. His mother, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck if the way she bit her lip as she watched the staring match between her husband and son was any indication.

Argus had never been one to show emotion, nor express love toward his family. Not once did he utter the words 'I love you' to his wife or sons. He was a man of duty, not love or affection. Protecting Edenia was his main priority, not taking care of a family. That did not mean he wasn't active in his sons' lives, as he trained with them daily and made sure to praise Taven as often as possible. Daegon was lucky to get a mere nod from his father.

"Why are you not responding, father?" Daegon demanded."I asked you a question: what is this quest Caro told me of? Why did it involve Taven and I being put into incubation?"

When Argus failed to respond, the demigod yelled,"Answer me!" He pointed one of the swords at the Protector of Edenia's throat."I said answer me!"

"Daegon." A hand touched his shoulder, accompanied by the gentle voice of his mother, the only person who truly loved him. He turned to meet her eyes beneath the hood, feeling his rage lessen as she pleaded for him to calm down."Please let me explain."

Lowering the blade from his father's throat, he nodded."Please do." His voice was barely above a whisper.

The hand that wasn't touching his shoulder grasped one of his wrists. He tightened his grip on the sword, but offered no protest as she gave his shoulder and wrist a squeeze.

"After Shao Kahn's invasion, I saw that Armageddon would come. Your father and I devised a plan to prevent my vision from becoming a reality." She explained.

Argus spoke for the first time."Taven and yourself were put into incubation and left under the protection of Orin and Caro. Their duty was to awaken you for the quest when Blaze, a being of fire created by your mother, gave them the signal to do so. But it seems Caro has mistakenly awoken you too soon."

Daegon raised an eyebrow."I still do not understand the purpose of the quest. How does this plan of yours prevent Armageddon?"

"Whoever defeated Blaze would gain full godhood and take my place as Protector of Edenia. I wished to kill the other kombatants present at the battle of Armageddon, but your mother convinced me to simply strip them of their powers, as some were heroes. Depending on which one of you defeats Blaze, the kombatants would be killed or lose their powers. Neither I nor your mother can say predict the outcome, but it **will** prevent their kombat from tearing apart the realms and bringing Armageddon."

Daegon took a step back, gaping in disbelief and horror. His parents were so desperate to stop a vision from occurring that they would pit their own children against one another? He must have spoken the question out loud, because Delia shook her head and forced him to look at her.

"You and your brother are not meant to fight each other, Daegon, merely to reach Blaze first and kombat him. You know I would never be so cruel as to force my own children to be enemies." No, she would not. His father, however, was a different story.

Daegon shut his one good eye as he took a moment to calm himself. As much as he wanted to growl in vexation, he needed to remain calm for now. He focused on his mother, wanting to believe he could trust her, but could he? Lord Shinnok had told him of his parents' secret aid for Taven. A possible lie, but why would Shinnok, a friend of his family and fellow Elder God to Argus, lie about a matter as serious as this?

The demigod turned to his father with a scowl."You are aiding Taven."

Argus's eyebrows rose."I do not know what you are talking about. Who told you this?"

"Does it matter?" Daegon spat.

"Of course it does! I wish to know who would dare make this accusation toward me!"

Daegon looked his father dead in the eye as he said,"Lord Shinnok. He would not tell me all the necessary information for the quest except that you were both aiding Taven in secret and favored him."

"That is ridiculous!" Argus waved a dismissive hand at the accusation."I would never do such a thing!" A snort was evoked from Daegon in response.

"Oh, come now, father." He contemptuously spat the familial form of address."We both know you favor Taven over me. **Of course** you would aid him! It is expected of you!"

"Daegon, my son, listen to yourself." Delia said."What you are saying is insane! Do you not hear yourself?"

He shouldn't be shocked that his father would be so cruel. The same did not apply to his mother. He thought he could trust her. She was fair, kind, and **trustworthy**. At least she had been until now. She may have spent more time with her youngest than her eldest, but there was no denying that she would support her husband in a decision like this. She had betrayed him. He wasn't sure which emotion was stronger, the pain or the anger? Perhaps an equal mix of both.

Angry and hurt as he was, his father's next choice of words cut deeper than any blade ever could."Would you blame me if I **did** favor your brother? And I am not just referring to the quest."

Daegon's eye widened."What did you say?" Was he admitting to his betrayal? Or was he merely putting him down with words as he so often did? Maybe both.

"You heard me." Argus replied, cold as ice."All your life, you have paled in comparison to your brother. You are less focused, less wise, less strong, and less interested in training."

"Argus, that is not fair!" Delia protested, shaking her head."Daegon has always strived to make you proud! He has even defeated Taven more than a few times on his own." It was true. Taven knew his brother would be able to tell if he let him win, so the few times when Daegon won their competitions were genuine.

"Silence, Delia!" Never had Argus spoken so harshly to his wife."You, Caro, and Taven are constantly defending Daegon as if he were a child incapable of speaking for himself! No wonder he falls short so easily to his brother!"

"Perhaps if you ever bothered to listen or speak to me like a normal father, you would have noticed that I am just as devoted to Edenia and its protection as you and Taven!" Daegon hissed through his teeth."But of course, one as disgraceful and weak as myself is not worthy of your attention or praise. Taven is the very picture of perfection in your eyes, whereas I am the very picture of **imperfection**."

"Your immature outburst only confirms my words." Argus stated."You are too easily distracted, childish, and, cruel as it may be for me to say this, pathetic."

Delia covered mouth with her hand to muffle a gasp."Argus..."

Argus shook his head."No, Delia. I may have said that our sons are the only ones we can trust, but Daegon has proven unworthy of my trust with every passing day. Taven is more suited to replace me."

"So you admit it then." Daegon hissed."You admit to-"

"I admit to nothing other than being ashamed to call you my son."

"Argus!" Delia exclaimed, aghast.

Daegon stared at his father, praying he hadn't heard him correctly, that his own father hadn't just confessed to being ashamed to share blood with him. He tightened his grip on the swords as his blood boiled, the pain and shock of his family's betrayal replaced by an ire that burned through his veins and caused his breath to quicken. All his life, he'd lived in his brother's shadow, under his father's unkind gaze. Well, not anymore. The prize would be his. Taven would not take it from him like he had everything else.

"Say that again." Daegon whispered, swallowing thickly."Look me in the eye and tell me what you truly think of me."

Argus retained his blank expression as he said,"You are a disgrace of a son and I am ashamed to call you-"

Those were the last words Argus, Protector of Edenia, uttered, as Daegon swung the sword Taven should be wielding instead of him with an agonized, enraged yell and cut his father's head clean off.

Time seemed to slow as his father's body fell and his head rolled across the floor before hitting the wall. Daegon panted as he stared at the headless body of the man he called his father, the man who'd called his own son a disgrace and confessed to being ashamed of their shared blood, the man who never spared him a kind word or glance, the man he'd just killed without a second thought and whose corpse he now spat on for those exact reasons.

Delia let out a scream. Daegon barely had time to turn around and meet the furious, horrified eyes of his mother as she knocked him back with a burst of telekinesis. He landed on his back, surprised the force of the attack hadn't knocked the swords out of his hands.

His mother stood over him, a fireball in her hand. She panted with anger, shock, horror, and grief. But then those emotions vanished and her brows knitted into a frown. The fireball in her hand vanished as she gazed at the son she'd raised and loved more than anything, the little boy whose tears she'd wiped away whenever he cried, whom she'd comforted and defended when her husband wronged him, the same person who'd just killed her husband in front of her very eyes.

She extended a hand to him. It was an offer of forgiveness, help, love, and desperation for him not to turn to darkness and to accept her aid. Daegon's gaze never left hers as he accepted the offered hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet. She sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him, whispering promises of how everything would be alright and that they would get through this. Daegon wasn't certain who she was truly trying to convince: her son or herself?

A gasp escaped the sorceress's lips as Daegon drove his sword through her heart. She stared at him, eyes wide with shock, pain, and betrayal as he knocked her onto her back with a simple kick. She fell to the floor with a moan. Tears ran down her face as she made eye contact with her son for the final time.

"Daegon, my little boy, my child, my flesh and blood, my son..." She murmured every term of endearment she'd addressed him by over the years before asking in a heartbroken tone of voice,"Why?" Daegon remained silent as his mother's eyes closed and her head fell to the side.

His mother was dead. Both of his parents were dead. He'd killed them. With slow, heavy steps he approached his mother's body, knelt down, and removed his sword from her chest. Killing his father had been easy, but killing his mother, the only person he'd ever truly loved and who loved him in return, felt as if he had pierced his own heart with a sword rather than hers.

For a moment, he felt remorse for her murder, but that changed when he looked at the remains of his father and remembered his parents' betrayal. Rage tore at his heart, destroying the remorse and replacing it with hatred, frustration, and pain. He roared at the top of his lungs as he unleashed fire upon his father's remains, burning them to ashes. He then did the same to his mother's corpse.

Once both of his parents' remains had been destroyed, Daegon slowly stood up and made his way back to Earthrealm where Caro was waiting for him.

"Daegon!" Caro was relieved to see him, but that relief turned to shock and confusion when he saw the demigod's bloody clothing and blank expression."What happened? Are you alright? What did your parents say?"

Daegon responded by blasting the dragon with fire. Caro cried out, more from shock than pain, but it brought a smile to Daegon's lips nonetheless. He relented and gave Caro a good look at the swords stained with Argus and Delia's blood.

"My parents are dead, Caro." The words escaped his lips with ease as he tilted his head and lowered his voice to a menacing whisper."And I am the one who killed them with the same swords that were left for Taven and I to use for the quest."

"Daegon," Caro breathed,",what have you become?"

Daegon's smile became a smirk."People change when you freeze them in carbonite for several years and lie to them. I am going to find Blaze and my brother, and you, old friend, are going to help me do that."

Caro could only scream as Daegon blasted him with fire again.

* * *

Present:

Midnight, yet he couldn't sleep.

Daegon sat on the windowsill in his quarters, gazing at the sky and sipping from a glass of wine. There was too much on his mind for him to find rest. His mother was back and his brother was free, the latter having occurred because of Caro. Kenshi and his brat had snuck into his clan's base and Caro had helped them find Taven. He'd known all along where Taven was and deliberately hid the truth. Unsurprised as he was, it did not lessen his rage. Caro was lucky (or perhaps unlucky) the Red Dragon Clan needed him alive to transport them. Even if Raiden could travel freely between realms, he wouldn't always be there to transport them so Caro was to remain alive.

Although Daegon couldn't kill him, there were fates worse than death. Caro had endured a fate worse than death for years now, so much so that he grew used to the constant torture from Daegon and his followers. Therefore, Daegon decided to change things up a bit by including Raiden. This was of course after he moved the dragon to their new base of operations in Seido since he wasn't stupid enough to risk leaving him there for Taven or Delia to free him. Caro's new cell was located deep underground, preventing anyone from hearing his screams while Raiden tortured him.

Daegon would be lying if he denied being somewhat disturbed by Raiden's actions toward Tanya, D'Vorah, and Kano earlier today, but they deserved it. Kano in particular was worthy of torture for what he'd done to Kabal, Nell, and his own son.

Daegon was not above torture, but he drew the line at rape. He pitied Kevin and his mother. Torture was meant for enemies. It was dishonorable and pointless to inflict it upon one incapable of defending themselves, which was why he would feel no remorse when he finally got his hands on Kenshi's bastard and made him suffer for the actions of his father, adoptive father, friend, and lover.

Some might say that Suchin was an innocent, but they were wrong. No innocent woman could kill three Red Dragon soldiers with such brutality. Takeda was no different. The boy had been trained by Scorpion and inherited Kenshi's powers. That made him an equal threat in Daegon's opinion.

Kano knew nothing of how to make someone stronger. His idea of training someone was starving and turning them into a savage beast just like himself. Daegon understood the importance of gaining his recruits' trust and respect. Kano, on the other hand, believed it was better to make his recruits hate him and turn them into lapdogs rather than loyal, valuable followers and strong warriors. That was what separated their clans and was also why the Black Dragon would always fall short to the Red Dragon.

Kabal and Kira were both strong, wise, and brave professionals whose talents were wasted in Kano's service. Leaving the Black Dragon had been a wise decision on both their parts. Were they members of **his** clan, he would have valued them like he did Hsu Hao and Mavado as well as their replacements Goro and Skarlet. Loyalty was important. Kano may have cared for his comrades, but he was ultimately looking out for himself. That was his main weakness. He did not to value what and who he had. It would be his downfall.

A groan brought his attention to the bed. Skarlet was groaning in her sleep, though she soon stopped and the silence returned. The construct was a valuable warrior and as the only female member of the Red Dragon Clan (with a suitable name no less), made for a satisfactory paramour. Her quarters were next door to Goro's and given the Shokan prince's snoring horrible habit, Daegon was fine with her sharing his bed. He could use a woman's touch every now and then to lessen his stress.

Skarlet could be naive at times, but she was a fierce, deadly kombatant and any woman who could fight had his respect. Suchin was an example of such a woman. For all his displeasure with the loss of three good men, he could not deny Suchin's prowess with a blade. She went down fighting, which was worthy of recognition. Another thing Kano failed to understand was the importance of respecting one's enemy. Daegon made the mistake of underestimating Jade/Delia as well as the Takahashi family. He would not make that mistake again.

Speaking of Jade/Delia, there was still an issue to solve regarding the former revenent whose body his mother shared control of. Jade had made it clear that she lacked Delia's hesitation and would gladly take him down on her own. His mother knew this, so she could easily hide behind the Edenian when facing him. But she couldn't hide behind Jade forever. Eventually, she would have to find the courage to face him herself and finish what she started years ago. Daegon promised himself that the next time he and Jade met, he would avenge his defeat at her hands. She'd used his shock to her advantage and made a fool of him in front of his own clan. She would pay dearly for that...

"Daegon."

The demigod gasped at the sound of a familiar voice uttering his name. He must have fallen asleep, because his closed eye suddenly snapped open and he looked around, perplexed when he realized he was not in his quarters, but somewhere else. It was an empty room with no furniture or windows and the walls were painted red. The floor was identical in color to the wall.

"Am I dreaming?" He whispered, unsure if he was talking to himself or someone else.

"Yes, my son." That voice again."You are dreaming."

Delia appeared beside him. Not in Jade's body, but in her original form with the red dress and hood. Daegon sighed. Of course his mother would do this. He should have expected this from her. He crossed his arms, refusing to look at her."What do you want, mother?"

"Please look at me." Her fingers touched his face and turned his head to force him to make eye contact with her. Daegon slapped her hand away with a scowl.

"I believe I asked you question." He stated coldly."Care to answer it? Or should I repeat myself? **What do you want**?"

She sighed."To talk." She shook her head when he gestured for her to speak."Not here. Face to face. In person."

He raised an eyebrow."I am not so foolish to be led into a trap."

"It is not a trap. I swear to you. Jade will not attack you unless I allow her to. No one else will be there other than you and I. The rest of our allies are currently resting. It should be no difficult matter for you to sneak out for at least half-an-hour. I am already waiting for you. All I want to see and speak with you for a few moments." She reached for his hand and gave him a desperate look."Please."

Daegon looked at her hand for a long moment before sighing and giving in with a curt nod."Fine. Where do you wish to meet?"

"My temple."

"Very well. I will be there shortly."

She smiled."Thank you. I will see you soon." She waved a hand, causing a bright light to temporarily blind him before he awoke with a soft gasp. A quick inspection of his surroundings confirmed he was indeed awake and in his quarters, though he frowned in annoyance upon seeing his now empty wine glass on the floor with its contents spilled on the rug. Oh well, he told himself, the servants would clean it up in the morning.

Daegon sighed as he made his way to Caro's cell so the dragon could transport him to his mother's temple. He knew he would regret agreeing to meet with her and that neither of them would enjoy the encounter.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 44:Jade/Delia II_


	45. Chapter 44:JadeDelia II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all."  
— Washington Irving

 **Chapter 44:Jade/Delia II**

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'I do not agree with this, Delia.'

'Then why did you not attempt to talk me out of this?'

'You helped me free my friends. The least I can do is give you some time with your son, even if I want to beat him to a bloody pulp.'

'You are a skilled kombatant, Jade, but you were only able to defeat Daegon because he was caught off guard long enough for you to strike. I will have to face him myself next time.'

'You do not have to do it alone.'

'Yes, I do. He is my son. I started this, and I must end it.'

'What of Taven? He will not be eager to let you do this on your own.'

'I will speak with him later. **After** we are done here.'

'As you wish.'

Delia sighed as she ended her conversation with Jade. She sat on the floor in the middle of her temple (now home to the Lin Kuei) in seiza position. Her desperation caused her to contact Daegon and ask him to come. She needed to speak with him, to give him a chance to redeem himself, to put an end to this conflict among their family before it was too late. There was still good in him. All he had to do was accept her forgiveness and she would welcome him with open arms.

A fool's errand was what this hope of hers was, but she needed to do this. Daegon said that her hesitation was her undoing. He was wrong; it was her love for her children that was her undoing. Her love for him was what made her hesitate all those years ago when he killed Argus before her very eyes and in Outworld. Jade would not be there to protect her forever. Daegon knew this. So did Delia, Taven, and Jade herself. The two women would have to be separated eventually. Jade deserved to have her life back.

A portal opened behind her. The sound of footsteps alerted her to Daegon's presence. He sat down across from her, also in seiza position. Delia fondly remembered the time they'd spent together, be it meditation or conversation over tea. How close they'd been back then. Now look at them; so close yet so far apart.

She opened her eyes."Thank you for coming."

"You wished to talk." He stated icily."Do so quickly. I have more important things to do than waste my time here."

'I wonder if by **things** , he is indirectly referring to a certain red-haired construct whom he is no doubt **doing** every night.'

'Jade!'

'I am sorry Delia, but are you honestly surprised? Skarlet is the first and so far only female Red Dragon member. It makes sense that he would take her as a paramour.'

'Please stay out of this. I must speak with my son alone. Without yours or anyone else's unwanted input.'

'Very well.'

A hand touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her argument with Jade. The hand belonged to Daegon, who wore a look of concern on his face. Her hand came to rest on top of his. It was not until a total of thirty seconds passed that he pulled his hand from her grasp and leaned away from her.

A wry smile crossed his lips."I cannot imagine how difficult it is sharing a body with another. Mental privacy certainly does not exist for either of you."

Delia chuckled."We have managed fine for the past twenty years, but it does get quite difficult on occasion."

"Hmm." Daegon hummed as he looked around the room with an almost wistful look on his face. Delia could not forget how often the two of them would sit together until Argus called him and Taven for training. There was no denying the disappointment in Daegon's eyes whenever he left her company. As close as Delia was to Taven, the older demigod preferred to spend time with his father than his mother whilst Daegon practically fled from his father's company as soon as training was over.

"Do you remember how we'd sit here everyday?" She asked."We would meditate-"

"And talk over tea." He finished, finally looking at her."I remember."

She extended a hand to him. He gazed at the offered hand before tentatively placing his hand in hers. She squeezed his hand and ran a thumb over his knuckles, just like she'd done in the past. Daegon was always proud, sometimes too much so to let her hug him, so they settled for a compromise as he grew older. But there had been times when she would pull him into her arms and he would return the embrace.

"I miss those days." She whispered.

Daegon closed his right eye and placed a hand over his left eye, the one with the scar on it. He'd lost it during a sparring match with Taven mere months prior to them being put into incubation for the quest. Taven felt an unspeakable amount of guilt for the accident, but Daegon did not forgive him. They seemed to be coming close to reconciling if the way they playfully raced to their father's temple was any hint. They were immediately rendered unconscious upon arrival, put into incubation, and left under the protection of Orin and Caro until Blaze gave the signal to revive them.

No one could have predicted that Daegon would be revived too early. Delia did not blame Caro for this, however. The only person she blamed was herself. Her visions started this and she would have to end it. To hell with the quest. It was because of the quest that her family had been ruined. Her husband was dead, she was sharing a body with a fellow dead woman, her eldest son was confused and angry, and her youngest son had become a villain.

"I was weak back then." Daegon said with a sigh, still touching his scarred eye.

Delia shook her head."You were never weak, my son."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow."Why don't you tell that to father or Taven? Ah, that is right. You cannot tell father because he is **dead**. And Taven will soon join him." The words were spoken in a low, angry voice. He tried to pull his hand from her grip, but she would not let him.

"Why do you hate them so much? What have they ever done to make you so-"

"Oh, I apologize. Have you forgotten that I was constantly in Taven's shadow and father barely spared me a kind glance or word? He practically disowned me in front of you! I felt no remorse for killing him then and I feel none for it now."

She placed a hand on his cheek."And what of me? Do you feel no remorse for killing me as well?"

His fingers slowly came to wrap around her wrist and tug it down as his expression darkened."In the first few moments after I pierced your heart with my sword, I felt as if I'd pierced my own heart instead. Killing father was easy."

"But not me." She stated."You felt guilty for my murder."

He fixed her with an icy stare."That guilt lasted for the smallest of seconds until I took one look at father's corpse and remembered your betrayal and burned both of your remains to ashes."

Delia gave a vexed groan and grabbed her son by the shoulders."Daegon, for the last time, we were not aiding your brother. Shinnok deceived you-agh! The words turned into a gasp as the back of Daegon's hand connected with her cheek. She landed on the floor with a grunt and touched her cheek, knowing a bruise was forming there. She looked up to see Daegon standing over her with cold fury written across his features, a fireball forming in one hand and his sword held in the other. A forcefield surrounded her, causing the sword to pass through her without harming her.

Daegon raised an eyebrow."That trick again?"

"It is quite useful." She replied before kicking his legs out and rolling away.

A fireball struck her in the back, evoking a yelp from her lips. Rapid footsteps alerted her to the fact that her son was charging at her. She twisted around, catching one wrist in each hand to prevent him from driving his blade into her eye and his fireball from completely forming. She managed to keep a tight grip on his wrists, but did not expect him to pin her down by pressing a knee into her ribcage. He pressed further, and in desperation she kneed him in the groin. As he grunted in pain, she pushed him away with all her strength, got to her feet, and took several steps back to put some distance between the two of them.

"Daegon, please!" She implored, putting her hands up in a gesture of peace."I did not-"

"Shut up and fight!" He hissed as he lunged at her with his sword. She spun around, vanishing in a cloud of green smoke and reappeared behind him while he yanked his sword out of the wall he'd impaled it into after she used Jade's teleportation technique to avoid getting stabbed in the chest a second time. Again, she took several steps back.

Daegon threw a fireball. She dodged it, but did not realize it was merely a distraction as she turned to be greeted with a palm to the face. She did not attack, only attempted to dodge and block his attacks, though she did receive a few fireballs to the arms and shoulders as well as a slash on her arm. Jade was screaming for Delia to let her take control, but the sorceress refused. This distracted her long enough for Daegon to send her into the wall with a fierce backhand. She cried out as her back collided with the wall and she slid into sitting position. Daegon grabbed her by the hair to force her to her knees and held his blade to her throat.

"Why won't you fight back?" He demanded.

"I cannot kill my own son!" She sobbed, tears running down her face.

'Then I will!' Jade screamed.

Suddenly, Jade took control and knocked Daegon back with a punch to the chest. She was about to kill him when Delia began fighting her for control and a scream escaped her lips as the two women fought for control of Jade's body.

"Delia!" Jade cried, clutching her head as her eyes alternated between glowing blue and normal green irises."What are you doing?!"

"Hesitating." Daegon answered for her, having recovered from her attack."So long as you and my mother share a body, you will be at conflict with one another. She will either hide behind you when she is incapable of fighting me herself or stop you from finishing me off." He prepared to throw a fireball at her, but did not expect a foot to connect with his back, sending him face first into the wall.

"Taven!" Delia cried."What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, it seems." Taven replied, helping her up. She managed to get a reluctant Jade to let her handle the situation on her own.

"Taven." Daegon said, running a finger over the surface of his sword. A smirk crossed his lips as Taven widened his eyes upon seeing how different his brother looked."You seem surprised to see me, brother. I wonder why." His voice was filled with sarcasm.

Taven frowned."I am merely taken aback by how...older you look."

Daegon chuckled."A side effect of having been awoken prematurely by Caro. I suppose I should thank him, though; what is the Earthrealm phrase? Ah yes, with age comes wisdom."

Taven narrowed his eyes."The rest of that phrase would be 'but sometimes age comes alone.'"

"Taunting, big brother?" Scorn filled Daegon's tone as he uttered the familial form of address."I've outgrown your jeers."

Delia put a hand out to stop her eldest from intervening, her eyes locked on her youngest as she spoke."Listen to me, my little boy-"

"Do not call me that!" Daegon hissed."I am no longer your-"

Now it was Delia's turn to interrupt him."You will always be my little boy. The same goes for your brother. I cannot change our shared blood and I would not do so even if I could. Blood is thicker than water."

"Our family's history suggests otherwise." He shot back."Father never showed me an ounce of love or respect while Taven taunted me whenever he could and was no better than father in that category."

"That isn't true!" Taven protested."You were... **are** my brother! I loved and respected you with all my heart!"

Daegon scoffed."Is that so? The multiple times you mocked me suggest otherwise. Let's also not forget what you did to my eye!" He screamed the last sentence at the top of his lungs, leaving him panting with rage once he finished speaking.

Taven looked down, his features twisted with guilt."I'll never forgive myself for that sparring accident nor would I blame you for remaining angry with me and father, but mother and Caro do not need to suffer for it! They loved and supported you more than anyone else, yet you shoved a blade through her heart and enslaved him! However father and I have wronged you, it doesn't warrant-"

Daegon laughed, the sound a mix of cold and bitter."Do you know what the last thing he said to me was? Right before I cut his head off, that is?" His shut his eye tightly as if the memory pained him."He said he was ashamed to call me a son!"

"No." Taven shook his head."He would not say that."

"Oh?" He nodded in Delia's direction."Why don't you ask her? I am sure she recalls it in as explicit detail as I do. Go ahead, mother. Tell him that what I said is true."

Taven gave Delia a look that pleaded with her not to confirm his brother's claim. Delia sighed."It is true. Your father practically disowned your brother before my very eyes. Right before your brother killed him."

Taven's breath quickened."I'm sorry." He said to his brother, his tone sincere.

"Sorry?!" Daegon shouted."You do not get to be sorry! You were his favorite! His pride and joy, while I was worth less than a spec of dirt to him! If you and I were drowning, a **true** father would die to save both of his children. **Our** father would have gladly saved you and left me to die!"

"He was a fool!" Taven yelled."I will always love and respect him, but I do not blame you or Rain for despising him. What he did was wrong and I would not hesitate to tell him that to his face. I pray I don't end up like him."

Daegon was touched by his brother's speech. His eye widened and he lowered his blade. Taven boldly marched over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Daegon gazed at the floor as if he were torn. Hope filled Delia's heart as she approached her sons. They were getting through to him! He was listening to them.

"It is not too late to change, my son." Delia said."Join us and together we can put an end to Raiden's madness. We can redeem you! We can make things right! We can stop Armageddon! Please." She extended a hand to him, just as she'd done years ago. It was an offer of help, comfort, forgiveness, redemption, and love. An offer she hoped he would accept this time."Take my hand, and rejoin your family."

Daegon glanced at Taven, who squeezed his shoulder and nodded encouragingly. Daegon stepped forward and was about to take his mother's hand...

... when the sound of dry chuckling and slow, mocking applause filled the room. Raiden stepped out of the shadows, crossing his arms and wearing a smirk on his face. Delia desperately wanted to wipe it off.

'Am I the only one who is frightened of him?' Jade asked.

'Believe me, I am as unnerved by what he has become as you are.' Delia assured her.

'Good to know.'

"How very touching." The Thunder God said in a sickly sweet tone of voice.

Delia lifted her chin."Dare I ask how long you have been watching us, Raiden?"

"Long enough." He replied then turned to Daegon."Come now, Daegon. Do you truly believe them? They are merely trying to fool you into lowering your guard. As soon as you accept their so called 'help', they will kill or imprison you so your brother can claim the prize for himself."

"No!" Delia snarled, pointing a furious finger at the insane deity."You will not manipulate my son right in front of me! Do not listen to him, Daegon. He is an exploiter, a sadist, and a monster using words as a tool to trick you into staying on his side."

Raiden rolled his eyes and took a step forward. Delia put out a hand to shield her sons from his view."Taven, get Daegon out of here. I will deal with Raiden and catch up with you afterwards."

Taven nodded."Let's go, Daegon." He grabbed his brother's arm and started dragging him to the door. Daegon offered no protest. Raiden tried to stop them from leaving. Delia sent him into the wall with a telekinetic burst.

"You will not hurt my family, Thunder God." She hissed, forming a pair of fireballs in her palms."I will kill you if you so much as dare to touch either of my children."

Raiden threw a lightning bolt at her. She stepped aside to avoid it. She spun around, vanishing in a cloud of green smoke and reappearing behind him. He turned around just in time for her fist to meet his face, followed by an uppercut that sent him into the air and caused his head to hit the ceiling. She jumped up to kick him in the chest, sending him into the wall with so much force that it broke upon making impact with his back.

With a growl, Raiden flew straight at her and slammed her against the wall. He tried to punch her, but she swatted his fist aside and kicked him in the stomach, winding him. As he recovered from the blow, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the head, bringing him to one knee. A fierce backhand sent him sprawling to the ground. She ran out of the room to catch up with her sons, knowing a furious Raiden was not too far behind her.

"Mother, look out!" Taven yelled as he launched a fireball. The fireball flew over her shoulder and struck Raiden in the chest, sending him onto his back. Delia nodded in gratitude for her eldest's aid. She was about to open a portal to get herself and her children out of here, but was not expecting a lightning bolt to hit her in the back. She screamed and fell to the floor as Raiden came closer to her sons, both of whom were pointing their swords at him.

"Daegon." Raiden said."Do you remember how often Taven taunted you after he defeated you? How your father saw him as perfect, yet saw you as imperfect? Your mother may have been there for you on occasion, but not anymore. Her goal to destroy you, not help you. Stay on my side and I will help you take what is rightfully yours. I gave you my word, did I not?"

"Your word is as good as your actions." Taven hissed."Which, from what I've been told by my mother and Fujin, are not good at all."

"I am doing what is necessary to protect Earthrealm!" Raiden insisted.

"Keep telling yourself that." Taven spat and grabbed Daegon by the shoulders."Brother, do you remember how we fought alongside Caro and Orin against Shao Kahn when he invaded Edenia?" Daegon nodded."Well, take one look at Raiden and tell me what you see! Because I see a madman no better than Shao Kahn!"

"Do not compare me to that tyrant!" Raiden screamed so loudly it was a shock no one went deaf."I am nothing like him!"

Taven snorted."Oh, I assure you that you are **far** worse than him in every way. The Raiden I knew was a good man devoted to protecting Earthrealm. A pity I was not able say goodbye to him before this monster took his place."

"Shut up!" Raiden lunged at him, hands reaching for his throat. Taven and Daegon both rolled out of the way and rushed to Delia's aid.

"Stop!" Raiden managed to grab Daegon's arm. He caught the demigod's fist to block a punch aimed for his face and pointed at Delia and Taven."Look at them, Daegon. Look at the mother and brother who betrayed you! The brother who was always your father's favorite and the mother who ultimately chose to betray her so called love for you. They are no longer your family; they are your enemies. I am not. I wish to help you, but you must be willing to accept my help first."

"Leave him alone!" To say Delia was enraged would be an understatement."Daegon, please. Come with us. We will not betray you. Raiden is using you as a pawn. You are better than that."

"I..." Daegon was torn. Raiden continued whispering lies into his ear. Soon, his hesitation was replaced by anger. Raiden released his arm and took a few steps back to watch the scene as if it were an entertaining play.

"So many years of living in your shadow." Daegon said to Taven."Well, no more! You will not take this from me as you have taken everything else! I'll kill you before I let you take what is rightfully mine."

"Damn you, Raiden!" Delia half-sobbed, half-hissed at the deity."Daegon, he is not your ally. I am. So is Taven. We want to help you. He only seeks to use you as a pawn. Why can you not see that?"

Daegon's only response was to back away from his family and move closer to Raiden, glaring as he did so. Raiden placed a hand on his shoulder and gave Delia and Taven a victorious smirk before raising his hand to teleport them away. Taven tried to stop them, but it was no use. In an instant, the Thunder God and Red Dragon leader were gone.

Delia let out a sob."No!" She slammed her fist repeatedly against the ground."No, no, no, no!"

'Delia,' Jade tried to console her,', you tried...'

'It wasn't enough. Raiden won! Damn him!'

"Mother..." Taven's hand on her shoulder caused her to stop punching the ground. His expression was equal in sadness and anger to hers.

Delia buried her face in her hands, shaking her head as if it would be enough to undo their loss."We were so close! We almost got him back!" She let out a scream of vexation. It wasn't fair! They'd almost managed to save Daegon, yet Raiden ruined it. Damn him!

Taven pulled his distraught mother into an embrace and did not try to stop himself from crying alongside her.

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Kingofswing - I responded to your review in a PM._

 _Guest - I honestly can't say for sure. I like to believe there's still good in them if Kung Jin and Kung Lao's ending are any indication, but I agree with you on how Liu Kang and Kitana's endings were stupidly used to justify their dark sides but I have to disagree with you on them staying evil because I like my Liu Kang and Kitana and all the other revenants as good guys thank you very much. As for Liu Kang being alive in his ending well keep in mind that Kung Lao is still alive in his ending as well as Jin's and I think that's because the creators were just too lazy to use their revenant designs for consistency's sake._

 _Next up: Chapter 45:Jax_


	46. Chapter 45:Jax

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Even in times of trauma, we try to maintain a sense of normality until we no longer can. That, my friends, is called surviving. Not healing. We never become whole again ... we are survivors. If you are here today... you are a survivor. But those of us who have made it through hell and are still standing? We bare a different name: warriors."  
— Lori Goodwin

 **Chapter 45:Jax**

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It had been a long day for Jackson Briggs.

First, he awoke hours prior to sunrise for the attack of the Sky Temple. Second, he took care of reports that needed to be made to Secretary Blake so Sonya could get some much needed sleep. Third, he called Vera on a secure line to make sure she was alright. Fourth, even after all that, he was unable to sleep. Too much was on his mind. Jacqui tried to get him to rest, but ended up succumbing to her own exhaustion. Takeda was with her, so Jax knew his daughter was in his safe hands. His family was safe. So why couldn't he sleep?

Thoughts of what was done to Cassie and Kevin made his blood boil. He expected such brutality from Kano, but Raiden? How could something as simple as purifying the Jinsei caused the once kind, wise, benevolent deity to become a ruthless, coldhearted monster? Jax held no ill will toward Raiden for his time as a revenant. How could he? Raiden was just as confused as the rest of them by the visions he was receiving. He understood why the others were angry and would be lying if he denied sharing their ire at the moment, but for different reason. Cassie, his niece in everything but blood, was tortured for days. If not for Hanzo, Cassie might not have survived long enough to be rescued.

Then there was the matter concerning his fellow ex-revenants. Jax and Sub-Zero had both woken up screaming after they were revived while Hanzo was too stunned to speak. He could not begin to imagine what the others were going through. Hell, Jax himself was still traumatized by his experience as a revenant. There had been a time when he put a gun to his head and was seconds away from pulling the trigger when Vera entered the room, forcing him to drop the gun and screaming half-sorrowfully, half-angrily at him for daring to consider making her grieve for him again. It was then that she told him she was pregnant. If Vera hadn't come in when she did, Jacqui would not have a father. That thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

Jacqui didn't know of her father's suicide attempt. It was a well-kept secret between her parents and Sub-Zero, who became a good friend to Jax as they would often talk about their nightmares. Ironic and twisted as it sounded, death had brought them closer together and right now, they would have to lean on each other for support if they were to stop Raiden. There was no predicting the Thunder God's next move. No one could have guessed he would kidnap Cassie or ally himself with treacherous scumbags like Kano, Tanya, and D'Vorah.

Sonya spent most of the day falling in and out of sleep at Cassie's bedside. Johnny managed to convince her to eat something. Despite his differences with the actor, Jax respected him greatly for sticking by Sonya these last few days when no one else could reach her. If it wasn't for him, Sonya might have lost her grip on sanity long ago. Not only that, but he escorted Vera to a safe house while he and Jacqui participated in Fujin's attack on the Sky Temple. They owed him for that.

Jax sighed as he made his way to the cafeteria, hoping a drink would quell his vexation. As soon as he stepped inside, he realized he was not the only one unable to rest. Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Kai, and Fujin were there as well. Kitana and Kung Lao sat on either side of Liu Kang, the former resting her head on his shoulder whilst the latter had a bandage wrapped around his wrist. Kai was staring at a water bottle in his hand while Fujin leaned against the wall with crossed arms and a troubled look on his face.

"Guess I'm not the only one with too much on their mind to sleep." Jax remarked. All five of them looked at him and sighed.

"I do not require sleep." Fujin stated, voice barely above a whisper."Meditation, on the other hand..." He trailed off, leaning his head back."I have not been able to get a moment of peace since seeing what Raiden has become.

"How do you think I feel?" Kai asked."I've spent the last twenty-two years trying not to see him as the monster he's now ironically become."

"What right do I have to judge him?" Liu Kang shut his eyes."The things I have done as a revenant are no less horrifying than his recent actions." Kitana and Kung Lao muttered their agreements.

Kai, as if sensing Jax's desire to come here for alcohol, tossed him his water bottle instead. Jax caught it with a raised eyebrow, which Kai shrugged at. With a sigh, Jax took a sip from the water bottle and tossed it back to Kai.

"It's been a long couple of days for all of us." Jax said.

Before anyone could reply, a portal opened. Jade and Taven stepped out of it. Fujin approached Taven to place a hand on his shoulder accompanied by a questioning look. Taven simply shook his head, exiting the room with slumped shoulders. Jade had a few burns on her arms and shoulders as well as a slash on her arm.

"Are you alright?" Kitana asked, eyes wide in concern.

Jade nodded."I am fine. Delia and Taven, however..." She lowered her eyes.

"What's going on?" Jax demanded."What happened to you?"

"Daegon." Jade replied with a sigh."Delia convinced him to meet with her in private so they could talk. Sometime during the conversation, he tried to kill us. Delia would not allow me to take control in spite of Daegon's aggressiveness. If Taven hadn't arrived when he did, we would both be dead. They were able to get through to Daegon. He was just about to accept their help when Raiden revealed himself. He manipulated Daegon into believing his mother and brother were his enemies. Daegon believed his lies and went with him."

"I'm surprised you're not pissed at her for almost getting both of you killed again." Jax said.

Jade lowered her eyes."Do you know that feeling you experience when you are torn between anger and pity for someone?" Everyone nodded."That is how I feel toward Delia and Daegon. Delia was foolish to let Daegon make a punching bag of us, but he is her son. What mother would not want to believe her child can be saved? And Daegon, for all that I hate him, I also pity him. You should have seen how Raiden manipulated him into staying on his side."

Fujin smiled sadly."I remember Daegon in his younger years. He always tried his best, was so close with his mother, shared a friendly rivalry with Taven, was like a son to Caro. He had the love and approval of everyone but his father. Argus hardly spared him a kind word or glance. They were never close. I do not blame him or Rain for growing so bitter toward their father. It does not justify their actions, but I understand their anger."

"Talk about daddy issues." Jax muttered. It was no secret that he and Jacqui argued a lot, but never had she claimed to hate him. He didn't approve of her joining Special Forces behind his back, but he understood why. She needed to be her own person and as her father, he had to accept that. He was proud of the woman she'd become. He was also glad she found someone like Takeda. The son of Kenshi was a good match for her, so Jax didn't hesitate to give them his blessing, though he did make sure to threaten the boy with a fate worse than death if he broke his daughter's heart.

"Is there any good news you wish to tell me?" Jade inquired.

Kitana smiled."Kotal Kahn has agreed to free Edenia." Her smile faltered."But under one condition: once Raiden has been defeated, Edenia and Outworld must form an alliance in case a threat like this ever arises again. Also, my mother has made it clear that her time as ruler is over and that I will be queen of Edenia after our realm is freed."

"You don't seem too happy about that." Jax said.

Kitana frowned."I am nervous." Her dread seemed to weaken a bit when Liu Kang and Jade each took one of her hands."But at least I will not be alone."

Still holding Kitana's hand, Jade sat down."I have been studying a ritual that can separate Delia's soul from my body and restore her to life. I believe it can be used to free Jerrod's soul from Ermac's body as well."

Kitana gasped."How?"

Jade placed a hand on her shoulder."Delia believes it is possible, but we will require Quan Chi's help in doing so. Necromancy is his specialty, after all."

Jax snorted."Not like he's got much of a choice. Him being brainwashed and all." After everything he'd been through thanks to the sorcerer's actions, it was pleasant to see him serving as their puppet instead of the other way around.

"A suitable punishment, given his past." Fujin whispered."Are Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and Cassandra Cage...alright?"

"No," Jax shook his head,", but they will be. Sonya and Cassie are both tough and Johnny'll be there for 'em if they need anything."

"He has changed much over the years." Liu Kang noted."I remember when I first met him. How irritated I was by how he spoke with Raiden as well as his sense of humor."

"Don't forget his movie references." Kai said."I've only met him a handful of times, yet it was more than enough to make me want to smack him upside the head."

Kung Lao touched his hat."Let us not forget that he had a personality resembling sanding paper. Then again, sanding paper has a better personality than him."

"What Sonya Blade sees in him is beyond me." Kitana muttered.

Jade rubbed her temples."The amount of times he referred to me as a pole dancer is offensively uncountable."

Fujin groaned."I recall one incident when he asked me if I 'broke wind' then proceeded to run away screaming as I tried to strike him down. Even as he ran, he said things such as how he was 'gone with the wind' and asked me to stop trying to 'blow him away'."

"Tin man." Jax said in a deadpan tone."That's his nickname for me."

"You think that is bad?" Kai rolled his eyes."I can go on all day about the jokes he has made about Master Bo' Rai Cho's weight, one of which involved comparing him to a pregnant whale."

Liu Kang and Kung Lao exchanged a glance then spoke in unsion."We are going to kill him."

"What are you guys talking about?" Speak of the devil, Johnny Cage sauntered into the room, his expression a mix of tired and amused. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning, obviously as exhausted by the day's events as the rest of them.

"Where's Sonya?" Jax answered the actor's question with a question.

"Passed out on the couch in her office." Johnny answered with a yawn."She spent an hour lecturing Hanzo again before banishing him from her sight. I'm honestly shocked she didn't punch him in the face."

Liu Kang, Kitana, and Kung Lao lowered their eyes at the mention of the former spectre. Clearly, they still resented him for nearly destroying their chances of freedom by killing Quan Chi. Not that Jax blamed them, of course. He'd never been fond of Hanzo, but appreciated him keeping Cassie alive. There was no denying that he deserved a good lecture from Sonya and possibly a fist to the face for his less than noble actions as of recently.

As if on cue, the sound of Hanzo grunting suddenly reached everyone's ears. They hurried to door and saw Hanzo on one knee, rubbing his bruised jaw. Smoke stood over him, shaking some feeling back into his sore fist. Despite the mask, there was no hiding the satisfied grin on the enenra's face.

"You simply have no idea how long or how badly I have wanted to do that." Was all Smoke said to the yellow-clad ninja before walking away as if nothing happened.

Johnny snickered into his hand."Karma sure is a bitch. Right, Hanzo?" Hanzo's only response was to mutter a Japanese curse under his breath.

Jax smirked in spite of himself. For once, he completely agreed with Johnny Cage.

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Lol. No worries. We all know frustrating that stupid keyboard can be. ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 46:Hotaru_


	47. Chapter 46:Hotaru

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Revolt and terror pay a price.  
Order and law have a cost."  
— Carl Sandburg

 **Chapter 46:Hotaru**

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Order.

That was his purpose. To impose order on those who would wreak havoc. Over the years, Hotaru dealt with several enemies of order. Havik was his opposite in every way, but he was dead and no longer posed a threat. Darrius, on the other hand, was another story. As much as Hotaru disliked the Resistance leader, he respected him. Like him, Darrius followed an 'ends justify the means' mentality, but they worked to achieve different goals. Had they not been foes, they might have formed a strong alliance. A pity.

Horaru discovered more and more traitors Darrius had swayed to his side with each day. The latest was a couple named Wyleen and Holland. This came as a surprise. Hotaru had known them for a long time and was even present at the birth of their daughter Viviana, who was now the Earthrealm equivalent of ten. She was an innocent in this, but Hotaru had seen plenty of similar situations to know the child would grow up to be a traitor like her parents. Therefore, she would join her parents in death. There were fates worse than death and Hotaru preferred executing the family of three rather than allowing Kano to have his way with Wyleen or Viviana. The parents were beheaded for their betrayal hours ago. Their daughter would be executed at sunrise. It would be a quick, painless death that she would not see coming as he planned to distract her with a toy as the executioner raised his blade to behead her.

Darrius was a clever man, knowing how to manipulate others into his service. So was Hotaru. Depending on which side one was on, the general and Resistance leader were either considered heroes or terrorists. Those who understood the importance of order saw Hotaru as a hero and Darrius as a terrorist while those with a different point of view saw Darrius as a hero and Hotaru as a terrorist. Freedom, the traitors cried. What fools they were. Did they not notice how freedom led to chaos? Look at Earthrealm; all their constant wars because people were not properly controlled by their leaders. Their demoracy was a failure. Sacrifices had to be made for the sake of order, peace, and prosperity. Why could they not understand that?

The sound of footsteps snapped him from his thoughts. Turning away from the window he'd been gazing out of, he saw Daegon walking at a rapid pace with Raiden following not too far behind. The demigod's expression was a mix of troubled and angry as he hurried to his quarters and slammed the door shut. A smirk was plastered on Raiden's face as if he'd just won some kind of battle. The Thunder God came to stand beside Hotaru, his smirk vanishing as he gazed at the city outside. It was well past curfew and save for the guards stationed, the streets were empty.

"Why can they not understand?" Raiden's voice was barely above a whisper."I am merely trying to protect Earthrealm. Yet they reject and fight me."

Hotaru chuckled humorlessly."Try doing this for as long as I have." He gestured to the city."I cannot count how many riots Darrius has caused, how many he has swayed to his side. All of them are so thankless, claiming order is not worth the oppression." He scowled."They would rather have their freedom and the conflict that comes with it instead of peace and safety. It is disgusting."

"That it is." Raiden agreed."How long have you been at war with Darrius?"

"For almost as long as I have been in charge here." Hotaru replied."I must admit he is a worthy foe. Were we not on opposing sides, we could be strong allies. If you do not mind, I have a question."

"Ask it then."

"Why enlist the help of the Black Dragon? The Red Dragon I can understand. They are a strict and respectable lot. Kano lacks Daegon's professionalism and moral code. He is a petulant child eager to spread chaos, not a defender of order."

"They are both pawns to me, but Daegon has a potential that Kano lacks. Under my tutelage, he could become a strong weapon against our foes. If he remains loyal to me, Skarlet and Goro will follow. The problem is his family. Delia and Taven came close to turning him against me, but I was able to convince him not to betray me. I can see there is a part of him that still cares for his mother. If I am to ensure he stays on my side, that part of him must be destroyed."

"So you intend to beat the weakness out of him." Hotaru crossed his arms, never once allowing his blank expression to falter."A risky tactic. He may grow to despise you."

"Daegon has always been desperate to surpass his brother. I plan to use that desperation to my advantage."

"Hmm." Hotaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully then nodded approvingly with a smirk."I like your way of thinking, Raiden."

Raiden smirked back."And I yours. That is why I sought your help. You understand my plight. You will aid me in defeating Kotal Kahn in Mortal Kombat and I will aid you in eliminating Darrius."

Hotaru held up a fist."With their leader dead, the Resistance will crumble and no longer will I have to deal with their riots and idiocy." He unclenched his fist and waved his hand to empathize his seriousness."The time for their voices to be silenced has long passed. I tire of their foolishness just as you tire of your realm enduring the horrors of war due to ridiculous concepts such as mercy. In order to stop a threat from arising ever again, it must be put down for good."

"I completely agree." Raiden nodded."I will kill Kotal Kahn, Fujin, and Liu Kang. The rest of you can do what you wish with their followers."

"I only care for Darrius's annihilation. **He** is my concern, not the others."

Raiden tilted his head."Fair enough." He narrowed his eyes."There is something I need you to do for me, Hotaru."

"All you have to do is ask, Raiden, and I will deliver. What do you need me to do?"

"Eliminate her people." There was no need to explain whose people he was referring to.

Hotaru's eyes widened, only to narrow as he realized the wisdom of Raiden's plan."Her devotion to protecting her people is no secret. To destroy them would break her heart, make her easy to manipulate. A clever plan if I do say so myself."

"I am surprised you have not given me a speech about how her people are innocents in this. A speech I am quite tired of hearing in all honesty."

"The ends justify the means." Hotaru stated."I admire the Earthrealmer who created that phrase. He must have been quite wise and practical. As for her people being innocents in this, it is better to sacrifice a few innocent lives now than risk losing millions more later on. Besides, she very much needs to be put in her place and this will teach her a lesson about what happens when someone makes an bad decision with severe consequences. I assure you, Raiden, by the time the sun has fully risen, her people will be no more."

Raiden smiled."I am pleased to hear it."

It was then that a scream pierced their ears. The scream was coming from the dungeon. In an instant, Hotaru was running downstairs at full speed with several soldiers and Raiden accompanying him.

As soon as they reached the dungeon, Hotaru realized which cell the scream had come from: Viviana's cell. One of the two guards stationed there was dead, his neck having been snapped while the surviving one had a series of stab wounds on his chest and was slowly dying. Viviana was nowhere in sight, the bars of the window of her cell having been broken by the intruder who had obviously freed and fled with her.

One thing was clear: this was not the work of the Resistance. Darrius would have started a riot so Wyleen, Holland, and Viviana could escape during the chaos. He was no doubt aware of the couple's death by now and Hotaru knew he would not bother to free Viviana. What use would he have for a child, after all?

Kneeling beside the dying guard as two soldiers helped the soon-to-be deceased man into sitting position, Hotaru asked,"Did you see his face?"

The dying guard nodded."Y-Yes. Right before he stabbed me."

Hotaru placed a hand on his shoulder."Who was he? Tell me his name."

The dying guard used what was left of his strength to reveal the name of his killer.

"Dairou."

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Honestly darling, you should know better than to make requests of me by now. You know how evil I am and how I love to torture you all with my cliffhangers and other lovely little plot twists. So as much as I share your dislike of Hotaru and hate him for killing Li Mei...shrugs mischievously._

 _GG - I really don't have an official schedule. I try to update as often as possible. And awww thanks I'm really you enjoy my writing. It really helps boost my confidence with each chapter I write._

 _Next up: Chapter 47:Kotal Kahn_


	48. Chapter 47:Kotal Kahn

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"...a friend is someone to whom you can tell all your secrets, someone whom you can trust without reservation, a person who is not overawed when you are at your best, and is not turned away when you are at your worst."  
— Steven J. Carroll (City of Words)

 **Chapter 47:Kotal Kahn**

* * *

And so another day began.

This was what Kotal Kahn told himself as he walked along the battlements, hands clasped behind his back and a frown marring his features as the sun rose. Sleep was not something he got much of in the last few days spent preparing for the tournament and, for all that he initially refused to believe Liu Kang's warning, war with Raiden. On his side were Special Forces, the ex-revenants, the Shirai Ryu, the Shokan, Saurians, Tarkatans, and the Edenians. On Raiden's side were Hotaru's armies, the Red and Black Dragon Clans, the Moroi vampires, Tanya...and D'Vorah.

Kotal sighed at the thought of D'Vorah. The sting of her betrayal had yet to lessen. For years, she'd served him, earning his trust, respect, and friendship, only to betray him to Shinnok. Was she ever truly loyal to him? Did he do something to cause her to switch sides? Or had it all been act? He trusted her more than anyone else and look where it got him. He should have known better than to put his faith in her.

Looking back now, he should have given the position of First Minister to Reptile. No one equaled the Zaterran in loyalty if Reptile's lack of hesitation when he jumped in front of Kotal to protect him from Mileena's attempt on the Osh-Tekk's life was any hint. But then again, how could he have predicted D'Vorah's betrayal? She fooled everyone into thinking she was his loyal servant. Not even Tanya or Rain matched her acting skills. She played friend and foe alike like violins. Sad and irate as he was by this, he was also impressed.

It was then that he noticed Ferra running toward him at full speed as if a monster were chasing her."Big Bossy!" She shrieked, jumping into his arms as he let out a surprised grunt. She climbed up and seated herself on his shoulders like a normal child would be carried by his/her father.

"What is it, Ferra?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Was someone trying to hurt her? If so, he would not hesitate to rip the bastard in two. Ferra pointed several feet ahead of them. Kotal raised an eyebrow, but soon realized whom she was pointing at: Reptile. To describe the Zaterran as irate didn't begin to cover it. The moment Reptile saw the child in Kotal's protective grasp, he tried to stop, but he'd been running so quickly that the abrupt stop caused him to slide on his heels straight toward the emperor until he came to a stop directly in front of him. His ire was quickly replaced by sheepishness.

Kotal crossed his arms in an attempt to appear annoyed, but could not prevent a smile from touching his lips. Some things never changed.

"Lizard Man try to spit on me!" Ferra yelled.

"I despise you, child!" Reptile hissed. Since returning from Earthrealm with a group of Saurians hours ago, he hadn't spoke to nor made eye contact with the emperor. One would think he would be happy to discover he was no longer the last of his kind. Elder Gods knew what Kotal would give not to be the lasting surviving Osh-Tekk...

"Enough!" Sometimes Kotal felt like a father lecturing misbehaving children. Well, Ferra **was** a child so she had an excuse to act immaturely. His other allies did not have that benefit. His father was no doubt laughing his head off from the afterlife at the sight of his son disciplining his enforcers."What have you done to anger Syzoth **this** time, Ferra?"

She shook her head."Me do nothing."

"Ferra." He said sternly.

She groaned."You remember when Bang Bang put sleepy potion in mine and Torr's food?"

Kotal winced."Unfortunately. You were both unconscious for half a day. Erron was forced to clean the toilets as punishment."

"Well, me try to get back at Bang Bang by putting pepper in his water, but accidentally put pepper in Lizard Man's water and now he want spit on me!"

"Of course he does." Kotal sighed, rubbing his temples. Was this the Elder Gods' way of punishing him for his sins? If so, he had to commend them for their genius."Ferra, now is not a good time to pull pranks on anyone and Syzoth, Ferra made an honest mistake and is sorry for her folly. Is that correct, Ferra?" She nodded, grumbling an apology to Reptile, who glowered at her for a moment before accepting her apology with a sigh.

Grasping Ferra by the arms, Kotal took the child off his shoulders and gently lowered her to the floor. She took off in a sprint, leaving the emperor and Zaterran alone.

Kotal looked at Reptile."I thought you would be used to Ferra's antics by now. It is not the first time you have been an accidental victim of a prank intended for Erron nor have you ever been so irate about it. Care to explain?"

Reptile sighed."The pepper was not put in **my** water. It was put in Khameleon's. Ferra misunderstood that when I began to chase her."

"When you say Khameleon, are you referring to the Matriarch or her brother?"

"The Matriarch. Her brother was not present to witness it. Black is no doubt laughing like a madman." All Kotal heard was the anger in Reptile's voice when he spoke of how Khameleon was the victim of a prank gone wrong. He'd seen his friend get angry when something like this happened to either of them, but the way he was acting now left only one conclusion to make...

"Syzoth." No matter how hard he tried, Kotal could not prevent a grin from crossing his lips."Are you...attracted to Khameleon?"

"What?!" Reptile's eyes went wide."Why are you asking me this?" He sounded like a teenager having 'the talk' with his father.

Kotal's grin widened."Do not think I have not noticed the way you two look at one another. You are at least somewhat discreet. She, on the other hand, has been ogling you ever since her arrival. Her brother has been glaring at you for that exact reason."

Reptile rubbed the back of his neck."I..." He trailed off as Kotal guffawed."Very funny, old friend."

"I...I am...I am sorry..." Kotal said, sobering up."It is just that I...I have never seen you interact this way with a woman."

"Can you blame me?"

"No. I suppose not." Kotal placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder."You never did tell how you found your people."

"Stumbled upon them is more like it." Reptile muttered."I saw a group of Raptors emerging from within a collapsed cavern that'd been exposed during Shinnok's invasion. They brought me to their leader and we questioned each other on how we survived the conquering of Zaterra. As it turns out, their ancestors did not abandon Earthrealm for Zaterra, thus sparing them from being conquered by Shao Kahn. They did not take kindly to me revealing I was still, in their words, the emperor's lackey."

Kotal frowned, squeezing Reptile's shoulder."You may have been a lackey to Shao Kahn and Mileena, but not to me."

"I know that, Kotal. That is what I told them. Well, not in those exact words, but I defended you against my own people. Had someone predicted I would do that when we first met, I would have spat in their face. Khameleon asked me if I was so loyal to you that I would abandon my own people and I said yes. Everyone except for her called me a traitor. She dismissed the others and requested that I tell her more about you. I did not expect her to be touched and impressed enough to join forces with us."

"I would think you would be happy to have your people back."

"Tell me something, Kotal. If your people were to suddenly reveal themselves to be alive for all these years and invited you to join them in exchange for abandoning me and your other allies, would you do it?"

"I..." Kotal was torn. He would never fully recover from the loss of his father and people, and just thinking about the question Reptile posed brought back those painful memories. Yet he found an answer rather quickly."The people I knew are dead. As are yours. You may not be the last surviving Raptor, but you are still the lone Zaterran. Yes, your race is alive, but the people you grew up with and lost during Shao Kahn's invasion are dead. If there were any surviving Osh-Tekk in the world, they would be my race, but not the people I grew up with and lost. To answer your question, Syzoth, I would make the same choice as you. Being a part of the same species does not make you friends or family. You, Ermac, Erron, and Ferra/Torr have all stood beside me for years and **that** makes you my true family. I would go through the pain of losing my kind a second time if it meant saving all of you."

Reptile gaped at him, lost for words. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a scream pierced their ears. Rushing to the battlements, they saw smoke coming from afar and immediately realized what was happening: Li Mei's village was burning.

They swiftly arrived at the scene of the fire. Li Mei was screaming at the top of her lungs in horror and fear. Rain summoned storm clouds and water quickly came pouring down from the sky to extinguish the flames, but it was too late: the village had been completely burned to the ground and there were no survivors.

There was no question as to who did this. Hotaru was fleeing through a portal when they arrived, but Kotal knew he had done this on the orders of Raiden. Li Mei saw the Seidan general and gave a bloodcurdling scream of fury, pain, and grief as she launched a purple ball of energy at him that he avoided by hurrying into the portal, which closed as soon as he entered it.

Li Mei fell to her knees and slammed her fist repeatedly against the ground."No, no, no, no! Please Elder Gods no! Not my people! Take me, not them!" She curled into a ball and sobbed as Bo' Rai Cho and Erron tried in vain to console her. Erron eventually managed to pull her into his arms. She beat her fists against his chest, screaming like a banshee. Bo' Rai Cho whispered soothing words into her ear, but she shouted at him to shut up and continued to struggle in Erron's grip. Never had anyone seen her so broken. Kotal knew her people were everything to her. They were her family, her friends, her heart, her reason to live...and now they were dead. Innocents burned alive in their sleep for what purpose? What did Raiden hope to achieve by ordering Hotaru to do this?

"I failed them." Li Mei whimpered, shaking her head."I failed them, I failed them, I failed them..."

Kotal knelt down beside Li Mei and placed a hand on her shoulder despite her attempts to shrug him off. If only she knew how he understood her pain...

* * *

 _So, I think it's become clear now whom Raiden and Hotaru was referring to by 'her' when the former ordered the latter to 'eliminate **her** people' in the previous chapter. I deliberately made it ambiguous in order to keep everyone guessing. But now you know who they were talking about. __Anyway, p_ _lease remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Please don't kill me!_ _I swear to God I adore Li Mei but this was necessary for the story and contributes a lot to her character development._ _I mean it. Now please excuse me while I run to avoid all the Li Mei fans getting ready to throw rocks at me..._

 _Determined Savior - I agree with you there. For all his hypocrisy, he does care about order but yeah seriously Shujinko had no way of knowing about curfew. Hotaru could have simply let him off with a warning instead of locking him up to await trial for Elder Gods know how many years. As for Dairou...smiles evilly._

 _Jarjaxle - I meant to reply to your review of Chapter 44:Jade/Delia II, but didn't get the chance until now. All I have to say is that if you think Sonya in Mama Bear Mode is scary, keep in mind that Delia is a sorceress with the ability to control fire so she's about a thousands times more dangerous and terrifying when in full Mama Bear Mode. She could castrate Raiden...or just burn off his, ahem, you know. But of course, I make no promises because you should know how I love torturing you all with my cliffhangers and plot twists by now. ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 48:Skarlet_


	49. Chapter 48:Skarlet

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud."  
— Coco Chanel

 **Chapter 48:Skarlet**

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Talking and thinking.

Neither were things Skarlet did much of in the past. Shao Kahn didn't think she had anything to say and who was she to question him? Mileena and Ermac hadn't questioned him, so why should she? Only after his death did she begin to speak and think. She thought about how unfair it was for Mileena to inherit the throne. She claimed to be Shao Kahn's daughter, but using that logic, Skarlet and Ermac could be considered his children too. The same went for Kitana, who'd been his daughter in everything but blood. There was no mistaking the emperor's love for his stepdaughter, yet it did nothing to stop him from ordering her execution or the creation of a clone to replace her. With Kitana out of the way, Skarlet hoped to finally get the attention of her 'father', only to be met with disappointment as he declared Mileena to be his true daughter. That bothered the redhead more than she was willing to admit.

The concept of loyalty was difficult for her to grasp. Looking back, her loyalty to Shao Kahn resembled brainwashing. She was brought up to not feel free will, independence, or individuality. Her mind understood nothing other than servitude and dependance on her master, who hardly spared her a glance unless he needed her to kill someone and even that was rare as Kitana, his greatest assassin, did most of the killing for him. Skarlet was released only in times of desperation. He treated her like a slave and now she realized that was what she, Kitana, Jade, Ruby, Ermac, Reptile, Reiko, Kotal, Goro, and Mileena all were to him. With the exception of Mileena, all of his servants moved on without him there to hold them back.

When Shao Kahn died, she was overcome with a burning desire to kill Quan Chi for the part he played in his death, but another emotion overtook her: jealousy. Why did Mileena get to be empress while she was just another servant to the Kahn? Mileena hadn't even known him as long as Skarlet did, hadn't served him for as many years as Skarlet did, hadn't killed for him as much as Skarlet did. So why was she declared his heir? Slowly but surely, her loyalty to Shao Kahn faded. She was desperate for the power and respect she'd been denied by him and lost to her 'sister'. It was that desperation that led to her being recruited by Reiko.

In hindsight, she should have listened to Mileena's warning. For all that she despised the clone, it was clear her warning of Reiko's impending betrayal was not a jealous lie. Reiko played both of them like violins. It was not until she, legless after her fight with Ermac and Mileena, called out to him for help and he laughed in her face that she realized the truth. He called her a fool for thinking he would share his power with her and left her screaming promises of revenge at him on the beach.

She hid herself, knowing her foes, especially Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, would not be pleased to see her alive after what she'd done to them. Reiko was dead, but she swore revenge on Mileena and Ermac. She was close to death when Daegon arrived on Shang Tsung's island to investigate the aftermath of Havik's failure, and found her. He asked her what she knew about the Dragon King and she immediately realized he was referring to Onaga's ability to regenerate amputated limbs. He offered to restore her legs in exchange for her swearing loyalty to him, an offer she didn't hesitate to accept.

Now Mileena was dead. Skarlet was bitter at losing her chance to get back at the clone for destroying her legs. D'Vorah was fortunate they fought on the same side, because Skarlet would have gladly killed the Kytinn as well. At least she still had the Edenian spitfire, Ruby, to kill. Skarlet admitted Ruby was a skilled kombatant. Then again, that was to be expected of a former soldier in Shao Kahn's army. Daegon's strict code of honor which included respecting one's enemies had evidently rubbed off on her.

Technically, she and Daegon should be enemies. He had, after all, fought against Shao Kahn alongside his brother and their two dragon guardians during the emperor's first invasion of Edenia centuries ago. Shao Kahn's enemies were her enemies. That was what Shang Tsung taught her to believe from the beginning of her existence. She wasn't allowed to think for herself, to want anything for herself, to protest to being chained in the coliseum until her master had need of her. His last order was to keep an eye on Quan Chi, whom he suspected of planning to betray him, but the necromancer was a sly one, managing to convince Shao Kahn that he was his loyal servant and it wasn't long before Shao Kahn revealed his intentions to chain her up again once he successfully conquered Earthrealm. He never expected the Elder Gods to destroy him for breaking the rules.

As she began to think for herself for the first time in her life, Skarlet felt resentment boil within her. Like Ruby, Tanya, Rain, and Reiko, she fled to avoid serving Mileena. Although the other four ended up working with her anyway, they had their own agendas; Tanya and Ruby wanted a free Edenia, Rain wanted the throne of Outworld, and Reiko wanted to become a god. They all planned to betray Mileena from the start, having allied with her because it suited their goals. Although Skarlet admitted she was foolish to trust Reiko, Mileena was none the wiser. Ruby might be loyal to her people, but Rain and Tanya didn't understand the definition of the term. Their treacherous histories were so well-known that their names were synonyms for traitor.

Skarlet sighed as she sat on the balcony railing, watching the Black Dragon Clan below. Kano was standing in the center of a circle composed of Tremor, Jarek, Tasia, and mutiple masked goons sitting around him. Even though she couldn't hear what he was saying, it was obvious he was in the middle of one of his lectures about their rivalry with the Red Dragon Clan. Several masked Red Dragon soldiers were standing on the balcony, muttering contemptuous insults about their rivals. Daegon stood with Skarlet and Goro on either side of him, staring straight ahead into the distance and ignoring everyone else. Something was bothering him, though Skarlet didn't know what.

Daegon turned away from the balcony and headed inside, paying no attention to the concerned glances of his men. Skarlet gave Goro a look that asked if he knew what was wrong. The prince shrugged pompously as if her question wasn't worth a verbal answer. She rolled her eyes, waved him off, and followed Daegon inside. The few times Goro spoke was to utter promises of payback on Kotal Kahn and Sheeva for destroying his arms, killing his father, and taking his throne. Even though she understood his anger about the first two things, the third evoked no sympathy. It was thanks to his arms being restored and Daegon's sorcery empowering him that he managed to defeat Kotal, Sheeva, Ferra/Torr, and kill the queen's champions.

The demigod made his way to the table, poured himself a glass of wine, and leaned against the wall with a sigh. Not uncommon was it for him to have a drink every now and then. Recently, however, he'd been drinking more often than usual. Not that it was her business, as he would likely tell her. Still, she couldn't help but notice how he seemed more impatient and uncomfortable following the return of his mother and brother. She could also tell he hadn't been sleeping very well lately.

Skarlet clasped her hands behind her back and maintained eye contact as she said,"You seem troubled."

His eyebrows rose as he emptied the contents of his glass, pushed off the wall, put his glass down on the table, and placed both hands on the table with another sigh."You are concerned, I take it?" He asked in a whisper.

"Perhaps." She answered carefully."You have been drinking more often than usual and haven't been sleeping well lately either. I wonder why." She ran a finger up his arm."I do hope the not sleeping part isn't because of me."

Daegon's hand shot out to catch her wrist. He rolled his eye."Do not flatter yourself, Skarlet. You are a **satisfactory** paramour, **not** one worth losing sleep over." He released her wrist and turned away from her. Skarlet could have sworn she heard a few Red Dragon soldiers snickering in the background, but opted to ignore them.

"Grandmaster." One solider called, gesturing for him to come over. Daegon and Skarlet exchanged a glance before doing as the solider asked and returning to the balcony. One look was enough to see what the man was trying to show them.

Kano's minions, no longer seated in a circle around him, were watching him swing his butterfly knife around and hold it as if it were a sword in one hand whilst acting like he was throwing fireballs with his free hand. Skarlet pinched the bridge of her nose; it was obvious Kano was making fun of Daegon and was unaware said demigod was watching him. Rather than throw a fireball or yell, Daegon raised an eyebrow, thanked the soldier for informing him of the mockery, and headed downstairs to confront Kano with Goro and Skarlet accompanying him.

"Quick, someone get a camera and some popcorn!" One solider whispered."This is going to be good!" Skarlet couldn't agree more.

Kano continued his mockery of Daegon, oblivious to the presence of his rival who was approaching him with quiet steps, crossed arms, and a narrowed eye. Goro smirked as he stepped back to watch the scene as if it were an entertaining play. Skarlet placed her hands on Daegon's shoulders from behind, sharing the Shokan's amusement at Kano having no idea that the man he was mocking was standing directly behind him. His three lieutenants' eyes widened when they saw Daegon. His other minions froze, unsure of how to react. But did Kano notice? Of course not. The cyber-eyed mercenary went on with his rant.

"I swear, I don't get why Raiden recruited him. He's a damn coward, loser, moron, and mama's boy if ya ask me." Kano smiled proudly as he finished his tirade. He noticed the way his friends were looking at him."I'm gonna assume by your silence that ya agree with me, right?" They shook their heads. Kano was the very picture of perplexity."Then why are ya..." He trailed off, realizing what was going on."He's right behind me, ain't he?" They nodded."Damn it!" He hissed.

"Ahem." Daegon cleared his throat. Kano swallowed thickly, turned around...

...and yelped as the demigod's fist connected with his face, sending him flying into his three lieutenants. The four of them hit the ground, piled on top of each other like bricks, with a simultaneous cry of embarrassment, ire, and pain. This caused the Red Dragon soldiers on the balcony to start guffawing whilst the stunned Black Dragon goons gawked at the man who'd just made their leader look like a chump. Goro joined in on the laughter of his comrades. As did Skarlet. The construct fell to her knees, clutching her stomach as she laughed with tears spilling out of her eyes.

Daegon turned to Kano's minions."I do not suppose the rest of you have anything to say?" They shook their heads."That is what I thought." He scowled at Kano then walked away, not sparing the thug another glance.

Sobering up, Skarlet wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her crimson catsuit. She watched Daegon leave, knowing something was bothering him and that nothing she did would convince him to tell her what that something was.

Oh well, she had other ways of finding out.

* * *

 _I'm well aware that Skarlet is a little OOC, but the way I see it, none of Shao Kahn's old minions (except for Mileena) seem to care about him anymore. In the comics, Skarlet says she's as much Shao Kahn's 'daughter' as Mileena, but that in my opinion was just spoken out of resentment rather than loyalty. Ermac and Reptile don't seem to care much for him anymore either and neither did Kotal or Reiko as the latter in particular seemed to more care about his own agenda. Mileena was the only one in story mode or comics if I recall correctly to actually show grief over Shao Kahn's death. Everyone else had somewhat eventually moved to follow their own paths without him while she wouldn't shut up about him. So to me, I don't think it's above or beneath Skarlet to start thinking for herself with Shao Kahn out of the way and no longer chaining her up like a slave. Anyway, p_ _lease remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 49:Dairou_


	50. Chapter 49:Dairou

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"And is it all about the pay?"  
"Hence the term mercenary." He chucked her under the chin. "Try to keep up, halfling."  
— Kresley Cole (Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark #6))

 **Chapter 49:Dairou**

* * *

"Next time I agree to do a job for Darrius, he'd better pay double."

This was what Dairou told himself as he made his way to the Resistance hideout with Viviana sitting on his back. Darrius had paid him to free a family of three from prison, explaining that the parents were allies of his. When Dairou asked why he didn't start a riot so they could escape in the chaos like Dairou escaped in the past, he argued that they were incapable of fighting and would surely be caught. If he didn't know any better, he might have assume Darrius actually cared about the trio.

Luckily, he did know better. It was obvious that Darrius arranged the rescue of people of no use to him anymore because he understood how bad he would look to his followers if he abandoned one of their own. He was no better than Hotaru in that regard. They were both willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve their goals. Were they not on opposing sides, they would be strong allies. This was not Dairou's problem, however. All he cared about was the koins he would receive after completing his assignment.

Unfortunately, Holland and Wyleen were dead by the time he arrived and their daughter would have been executed as well by now. The rescuing part was simple enough. It was getting to the Resistance's base of operations (which was located outside the city in an underground cave) that was the hard part. The fact that Hotaru's men were tearing the city apart looking for him didn't make things easier. Master of stealth as he was, Dairou knew how well-trained and vigilant the Seidan guardsmen were. If he made one wrong move, they would find him. Even with his skills in kombat, he would be distracted trying to protect Viviana and risked being outnumbered, so he had to be extra careful to avoid detection.

The sun was just beginning to rise. Having taken this route before, he knew he was a good ten minutes from his destination. Viviana remained silent for most of the journey, only asking who he was and why he'd helped her, to which he replied that he was sent to save her by a friend of her parents. Dairou's comment regarding payment snapped the girl from her silence.

"Are you a mercenary?" She asked. Her teal eyes were wide with innocent curiosity, her dirty chestnut hair was a tied into a loose ponytail, her face was covered in bruises no doubt the result of rough treatment from the guards, and her tiny body was clad in a yellow dress soaked in sweat and stained by dirt. She was otherwise unharmed, though.

"Yes." He answered tersely, not in the mood for small talk. She didn't get the hint.

"Why are you so grumpy?"

He rolled his eyes."Are you always this inquisitive?"

She frowned, wrapping a lock of his black hair around her finger."Hmph. Are you always this crotchety?" Inquisitive **and** sassy. The majority of the children he encountered were shy, quiet, confused, and scared. Viviana was not any of those things. She reminded him of another little girl...

No. He wouldn't think of her, or any of them for that matter. They were dead. His entire family was dead, including that little girl no older than Viviana. Nothing could change that. Besides, why should he care? He was a mercenary who cared for koins, not honor or love. He'd accepted that long ago. The real problem was forgetting. Why would he want to forget? Because he was in no mood for the pain of remembrance. The past was best left alone. It was the present that mattered and if he was to finish this job, he had to focus on the present.

"Do you kiss your mother with that my mouth, child?" As soon as he uttered the question, he regretted it. The gasp she let out in response to the query didn't lessen his regret. He didn't need to look at her to know she was crying. She buried her face in the back of his neck to muffle her sobs. To his dismay, this reminded him again of the little girl he'd lost. Was this the Elder Gods' way of tormenting him? Was taking away his loved ones and unjustly imprisoning him not enough? And they wondered why he never prayed to them...

He recognized the entrance of the Resistance hideout: a well-disguised hole in the ground. Kneeling down, he removed the lid, took a quick look around to make sure no one else was there, went inside, closed the lid, and climbed down the ladder with Viviana clinging to him for fear she would fall or he would drop her. The moment he reached the ground, a group of soldiers hurried to greet him. One went to get Darrius, who arrived minutes later.

The Resistance leader was a dark-skinned, bald man with a goatee and a pair of stylish golden sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a gold and black vest with sleeves that stopped at his elbows and a collar concealing his neck. On his hands were a pair of black gloves and he also wore baggy blue pants, and bright colored boots. Everything about him screamed arrogance, professionalism, and cunning. It was thanks to these traits that he was able to sway so many to his side. His eyebrows rose when he noticed Viviana's parents were not present.

Darrius placed his hands on hips."Is it safe to assume that Wyleen and Holland are dead?" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice to convince his men he was saddened by the loss, but the lack of true sorrow informed Dairou of his employer's act.

Viviana whimpered as she leaned back, her face a tearful mess."H-Hotaru made some soldiers cut their heads off right in front of me!" She stammered in between whimpers. Dairou felt a bit of pity for her. At such a young age, she witnessed the execution of her parents under the orders of a family friend no less. Safe to say her innocence was destroyed by this ordeal. All for the sake of order, Hotaru would say.

Sighing, Darrius rubbed his temples."Thank you for your services nonetheless, Dariou. If you will kindly hand the girl over to my men and come to my office, I will give you your koins."

Dairou nodded, reached behind him to grasp Viviana's arms, and gently lowered her to the floor. She turned to look at him for a moment then gave him the shock of his life by hugging his leg and giving him a wan smile."Thank you for saving me, Dairou."

Too stunned to reply verbally, he gave a curt nod. Viviana offered no protest as a soldier took her hand and led her away. She glanced at Dairou a few times until she and the soldiers were out of sight. Darrius gestured for Dairou to follow him, which he did without hesitation and in silence. He'd done enough jobs for Darrius to remember how things worked in their deals. A comfortable routine, though as long as he got paid, he didn't care.

Dairou stood in the doorway of his employer's office, watching him saunter to his desk, open a drawer, pull out a bag of koins, and gesture for him to come over to take it. He was in the center of the room when Darrius tossed him the bag which he easily caught and stuffed into a pouch on his belt, yet before he could turn to leave the door slammed shut. The sound of footsteps behind him alerted him to the presence of a third person.

"Dairou." The Seidan turned to face the new arrival who'd uttered his name. Leaning against the door with crossed arms and head tilted in greeting was Fujin. Darrius came to stand beside Dairou, not the least bit surprised by the deity's presence. One thing was clear: they had planned this.

"Fujin." Dairou said."What brings you to Seido? Or do you prefer to call it Orderrealm?" He maintained a blank expression as he spoke, a necessary skill when living in Seido, though he was nowhere near as good in the art of hiding his emotions as Hotaru and Darrius. No one could beat them in that category. When the Wind God failed to respond, he turned to Darrius with a raised eyebrow and flick of the head in Fujin's direction."Care to explain?"

"Earthrealm is in need of your services, Dairou." Fujin said."Darrius informed me that you were doing a job for him, making it the perfect opportunity for us to meet. I am sure by now that you are aware of Raiden's insanity."

"Well aware, actually." Dairou replied."But it isn't my problem."

"It will be your problem if he and Hotaru target you next."

Dairou scoffed, rolling his eyes. He gestured to his on-again, off-again employer."Hotaru seeks to eliminate Darrius. I'm just another fugitive to him, not a threat to order like the leader of the Resistance. **You** may not know this, but Darrius does. My sole concern is ensuring that no one ruins business for me."

"Of course." Fujin shook his head."You care for koins. A typical mercenary. You were not always this way, however. You were once an honorable man with a loving wife, beautiful daughter, and caring parents...until they were murdered. All of their throats were cut in their sleep whilst you were away on a mission. You received a tip from an unknown source informing you of the murderer's identity. You found the man, killed him, and were arrested for murder. It was later discovered that the tip was false and you had been tricked into killing an innocent man. Darrius started a riot during which you escaped and you have lived the life of a fugitive/mercenary ever since. Therefore, let me repeat my earlier statement: Earthrealm is in need of your services."

"The Resistance is also joining forces with Fujin." Darrius interjected."You've made it clear you have no intention of joining my rebellion, but if you agree to fight for us in the tournament as well as the coming war, I'll pay you extra. I can imagine after your last job for me that you seek double from me for your next assignment. I'm willing to offer you triple instead."

Dairou smirked. His on-again, off-again employer certainly knew how to arouse his interest. Fujin should be taking notes on how to talk to mercenaries."I'm listening."

Darrius smirked back with a nod."I thought so."

Fujin sighed, uncrossed his arms, and pushed off the wall he was leaning against to approach the Sedian duo."As I am sure you have noticed, I am desperate. As is Kotal Kahn. We would not be requesting your help nor allying with Darrius under normal circumstances. But allow me to make one thing clear to you, Dairou: do **not** betray us. Desperate times call for desperate measures and a desperate man is a dangerous one. If you join us, then you will stay on our side and **not** defect to Raiden's side."

"Don't mock me, Wind God." Dairou hissed."Hotaru would never accept the aid of a fugitive like myself."

"He did not hesitate to make an exception for the Red or Black Dragon Clans."

"The Red Dragon are a strict and respectable lot. As for the Black Dragon..." He shrugged with a grimace."As you said, desperate times call for desperate measures and a desperate man is a dangerous one. I've heard of the things he has done and I suppose I should have expected this. Luckily for you and the emperor, Darrius understands how I think."

Fujin stepped forward, hand extended to offer a handshake."So we have a deal then?"

Dairou looked at the offered hand for a moment before nodding and shaking the Wind God's hand."Yes, Fujin. We have a deal."

Fujin's communicator suddenly rang. The Wind God answered the call, frowning when the hologram of Sonya Blade appeared."Sonya Blade, what is-"

"Fujin, we need you here now." She said urgently."Something happened in Outworld a few minutes ago. I'll explain when you get here."

"Very well." He nodded, seeing her seriousness."I will be there shortly." He ended the call and turned to Darrius."Gather your people and prepare them to leave. I will return in a few hours to escort you all to Earthrealm."

Darrius nodded."We will be ready, Lord Fujin." The deity returned the nod before raising his hand and teleporting himself away, leaving the mercenary and Resistance leader alone.

Dairou smirked wryly at his current employer."Incredible acting on your part if I do say so myself." He rolled his eyes at the confused look the other Seidan gave him."Don't play dumb with me, Darrius. You may have the Resistance and Wind God fooled, but not me. You and Hotaru know each other far too well for a victor to ever emerge. You both follow an ends justify the means mentality. The only difference between you two is your goals."

Darrius sighed."Is there a point to this lecture?"

"All I wish to say is that you best be careful. One wrong move and your followers will see you as the ambitious, unscrupulous man you truly are. You would not hesitate for a moment to sacrifice all of them if it meant victory for yourself. You're not the revolutionary and visionary half of Seido thinks you are. What you are is a terrorist desperate for power whilst Hotaru is a dictator obsessed with putting you down."

"Why do you care?"

"I don't." Dairou said firmly."I'm just sick of watching your patriot act. As soon as we've defeated Hotaru and Raiden, I'm finished doing jobs for you."

Darrius chuckled."So there is still a bit of honor within that cynical heart of yours, after all."

"More so than you. That is for certain." That being said, Dairou exited the room.

Alone in his office, Darrius frowned and sighed as he removed his sunglasses."He can never know the truth." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

* * *

 _Who exactly the original timeline was referring by Dairou's family was never specified, so I had the freedom to use my imagination in that regard and settled for his entire family which I'm going to go into further detail about in later chapters. Hopefully I did our favorite cynical Seidan mercenary justice._

 _Another thing: seeing as the curse known as cold and flu season has begun and my immune system being the weakling that it is, I'm going to get sick too. At the moment, I'm experiencing that feeling when it hurts to swallow so that means when I wake up tomorrow morning, I'm going to most likely have a sore throat and stuffy nose. Yay! So naturally, it may take a few days for me to recover and take care of other personal things. God, I hate this season._

 _Anyway, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Determined Savior - Is it safe to assume that Dairou is your favorite character? :)_

 _Guest - I agree with you for the most part. I've never been too fond of Havik but at least he played an important role in the story in the comics whereas Hsu Hao (like you said, fuck that guy) just showed up for 2 seconds to get killed off. I can't stand Kobra or Mokap but hey, if they can make people go from hating Stryker and Nightwolf in the original timeline to loving them in the reboot, maybe they can do the same for the others. I've always liked most of their storylines so I enjoy writing them and exploring their characters. I think most of them should be given a second chance too._

 _Next up: Chapter 50:Li Mei II_


	51. Chapter 50:Li Mei II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt."  
— George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))

 **Chapter 50:Li Mei II**

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"I failed them."

These were the words Li Mei uttered nonstop since the destruction of her village. She sat on a cot in the infirmary, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking herself back and forth. Bloodshot eyes stared straight ahead. Her dark tresses partially covered her eyes, though her comrades could easily see her haunted visage. All she could think about was her people, her heart, her reason to live, her family. Every single one of them was dead. Was losing her parents as a teenager not bad enough? Why did she have to lose her people too? What did they do to deserve this fate? Innocent men, women, and children burned alive in their sleep for what purpose?

Life was never easy for her. Shao Kahn and Mileena were both tyrants without a care for the lives they ended or ruined. Mileena hadn't thought twice about using Shinnok's amulet to murder hundreds of people, forcing Li Mei to lead her people to Earthrealm for asylum. Just when she thought everything was going to be alright and began guiding them back to Outworld, Raiden went mad. She hadn't been sure of what to think of the Thunder God's insanity at first. Now, one word crossed her mind: monster. He was a coldblooded monster. He gave not one wit for the innocents who suffered and died because of him, including her people. Li Mei swore to fight to the death to protect them, yet it wasn't enough.

As Li Mei continued muttering to herself, Erron Black looked at Fujin."At first she was screamin' like a banshee and refusin' to let anybody touch or talk to her. Now she's just sayin' those words over and over again. She's had that haunted look on her face ever since we brought her inside."

Fujin approached Li Mei and waved a hand in front of her face. She did not even blink, eyes looking but not seeing. He snapped his fingers. Still no reaction. He might as well have been communicating with the wall.

"Li Mei." Kotal Kahn's soft voice drew her attention to him. The emperor's gaze was filled with compassion."You are not to blame for-"

"Shut up!" She exclaimed. Had she not wept so much already, tears would be running down her cheeks. She focused on Kotal, letting the ire, the desperation for someone to take that ire out on, consume her."You are the ruler of Outworld! You should have made sure they were safe! You, Shao Kahn, and Mileena and your bloody wars are the reason my people have suffered so much over the years! Filthy Osh-Tekk!" In a blind rage, she lunged at him. Black grabbed her arms. Li Mei fought like a puma in his grip, growling to be let go.

"Settle down, Li Mei." Black pinned her wrists behind her back with one hand while using the other to take out his gun and press to her head."I don't wanna hurt you, but I will if you lay a hand on the emperor."

Li Mei directed her rage to the cowboy."Mercenary scum! You know nothing of pain, love, or loss! I hope you die in the tournament and rot in the Netherrealm! Let me go!" His grip tightened and he pressed the gun closer to her head, but it did nothing to deter her. She was so engrossed in fighting to be free from the gunslinger's grasp that she failed to notice Kotal approaching until he stood directly in front of her. His fingers tilted her chin up to force her to make eye contact with him. There was not a hint of anger in his eyes. Instead, pity was the emotion that overtook his expression.

"You think I do not know that I am to blame for this chaos?" He asked bitterly."If I had not invaded Earthrealm, Raiden would not have invaded Outworld and we would not be forced to join forces to defeat him. Your people, Sheeva's champions, and so many others would still be alive. We would not be in this mess if not for me."

"You cannot know that for sure." Fujin argued."Raiden would have purified the Jinsei regardless of what you did or did not do. I guarantee he would have come gunning for you even if you were guilty of no wrongdoing. His mentality is not exactly stable at the moment and frankly, it is only getting worse."

Kotal sighed."Be that as it may, I understand your pain, Li Mei. I too am the last of my kind. I made many errors in judgment that led to their destruction, but you have done nothing wrong. All your life, you have fought to protect your people. Their blood is on Raiden and Hotaru's hands, not yours."

Her blood boiled at the mention of Hotaru. Raiden may given the order, but it was Hotaru who burned her village to the ground. Let Fujin, Kotal Kahn, Liu Kang, and the others do what they wished with Raiden. Hotaru was hers to kill. No matter what it took, she would avenge the murders of her loved ones. Vengeance would be hers. She had no other reason to live...

"Hotaru is mine!" She snarled."His head will be impaled on his own naginata when I am finished with him!"

"Li Mei, do not let your anger cloud your judgement." Bo' Rai Cho said."That is precisely what Raiden and Hotaru want."

Hanzo spoke up."Master Bo' Rai Cho is right. I have let my anger and desperation for vengeance guide me for years and look where it has gotten me. Do not make the same mistakes as me, Li Mei."

She shook her head as a single tear ran down her cheek."My people were all I had. I breathed air because of my devotion to them. They were everything to me. And now they are gone. Vengeance is all I have left."

Bo' Rai Cho placed a hand on her shoulder."You have us, Li Mei." He whispered.

"Can you restore my people from the dead?" She laughed humorlessly at his shake of the head."Then do not attempt to offer me useless comfort."

"Erron." Kotal said to the cowboy."Release her."

Black's eyebrows rose."You sure? She might go nuts and try to attack you again."

"I will not." Li Mei's voice was barely above a whisper. She didn't have the strength to fight him anymore. Black reluctantly put his gun away and released her wrists. She let herself to fall to the floor, landing on her knees with a grunt. Black offered her a hand up, only to receive a shake of the head in response. Rather than leave her alone, he grasped her arm and pulled her up. She would have returned to her knees if Black and Bo' Rai Cho hadn't caught and carried her to the cot where she immediately curled into a ball.

Silence filled the room. No one was sure what to say or if anything needed to be said at all. It was clear that nothing they said or did would snap Li Mei from her traumatized, guilt-ridden, irate, and vengeful thoughts. Raiden and Hotaru wanted to break her, to make her anger cloud her judgement and while she refused to acknowledge it, they had succeeded in doing so. To hell with reason, she thought. Fury, vengeance, and determination were all that mattered and were all she had left.

The silence was abruptly broken when Ermac screamed in agony and fell to his knees, clutching his head. Kotal, Kitana, and Sindel were by his side in an instant. Everyone else watched in alarm as the construct seemed to be fighting with an invisible foe whilst muttering pleas for whoever his foe was to stop. There a bright light as an unseen force knocked the others occupants of the room back, followed by Ermac crying out in shock and pain. When the bright light vanished, eyes widened and jaws dropped at the sight that greeted them.

Standing over the unconscious Ermac was none other than Shang Tsung. The sorcerer wore a smirk on his face as he addressed his old enemies with a single question.

"Miss me?"

* * *

 _Hi everyone! So thankfully I didn't have a stuffy nose or too bad of a cold. I just had a bit of a sore throat and the occasional cough. I'm still coughing a little but for the most part fine and should be back to full health in a few days._

 _Anyway, before people start pointing out that I said I wasn't going to include to Shang Tsung, much like with Skarlet, I was being honest at the time, but it really feels like this story writes itself sometimes so I figured why not include him? That being said, expect quite a few surprises in the next chapter. Then again, you should know by now to always expect surprises from me...smiles evilly._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - You got that right._

 _Bro - Aww, thanks. I'm glad you enjoy the story and very much appreciate you wishing me well._

 _NeedsANewPenname - Kotal mainly stays in Outworld and Fujin is in Earthrealm because they both want to stay close to their comrades. Sonya is understandably not comfortable going to Outworld after recent events and wants to stay close to Cassie just as Kotal wants keep an eye on his subjects in case Raiden strikes again. And I'll also try to lesson to my use of_ _the phrase 'fate worse than death' and use different wording so it doesn't sound like I'm overkilling the same set of words._

 _Next up: Chapter 51:Shang Tsung_


	52. Chapter 51:Shang Tsung

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Things die. But they don't always stay dead. Believe me, I know."  
— Richelle Mead (Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2))

 **Chapter 51:Shang Tsung**

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"Alas, I was not missed."

This was the sarcastic statement that Shang Tsung uttered in response to his own question which he never received a reply to. Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Kenshi, and Jade/Delia were glowering at him. Erron Black was gawking as he drew his revolvers and stepped in front of Kotal Kahn, whose eyes were narrowed. Fujin's expression was blank. Li Mei and Bo' Rai Cho were slowly backing away. Sindel used her hair to pick up an unconscious Ermac/Jerrod and drag him away from the sorcerer. He was disappointed over not being able to absorb Jerrod's soul, but was pleased with managing to steal half of Ermac's souls, including Shao Kahn's. His murderer could scream all he wanted; no one was listening to him.

Shang Tsung knew he could not fight in his weakened state; therefore, he sat back to watch his enemies take each other out. Shao Kahn was dead and his soul stolen from Ermac by Shang Tsung. Quan Chi was an undead, brainwashed tool of the Elder Gods. Shinnok was a living head. None of them were a problem to him anymore and their fates satisfied him.

Raiden was no longer the weak, merciful deity he once was, but someone a thousand times more dangerous than Shao Kahn or Shinnok. Having watched the Thunder God's plans from the shadows, Shang Tsung was impressed by his 'evolution'. He was finally thinking correctly. Ruthlessness was the way to go. Raiden's experience in the Jinsei helped him learn that. A pity his former friends were too weak and stubborn to learn the same lesson...

"How the hell are you alive?" Erron Black demanded.

Sindel kept her gaze on the stealer of souls as she knelt beside Ermac/Jerrod and held him in a protective grip."I watched Shao Kahn kill you and absorb your souls before transferring them into me!"

Shang Tsung chuckled."Come now, most of you should know that death is only a temporary hindrance, especially for one as powerful as myself."

Kitana opened her fans and peered at him over the top of one of her weapons."The only temporary hindrance we need worry about is your return."

Kenshi drew Sento and ran a hand over the surface of the sword."Which will not last long. An eye for an eye, sorcerer. You taught me that."

Scoffing, Shang Tsung waved a hand."Your blindness is your own doing. I merely took advantage of your arrogance and gullibility."

Kenshi scowled."I'm going to enjoy killing you. I believe the same can be said for everyone else whom you have displeased in the past. All of whom are in this room."

"The three of us," Liu Kang stepped forward to place his hands on Kung Lao and Kitana's shoulders,", have bested you before. We will easily do so again."

The green-clad woman's glowing blue eyes conveyed that Delia was in control."I have also bested you before." She crossed her arms."Jade is quite eager to join in on the fun of beating you to a bloody pulp."

Black smirked beneath his mask."Count me in too." He spun the cylinder of his revolver with a nod.

Shang Tsung placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense."So this is the thanks I get for slowing your aging process, Erron?"

"No, this is." Black opened fire. Shang Tsung rolled aside, smirking as the bullets missed him by inches. His smirk vanished when Liu Kang attacked him with a flying kick.

Shang Tsung shot a fiery skull at his rival while Liu Kang threw a fireball. The force of their attacks making impact knocked everyone back. Only Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kitana, Kenshi, Jade/Delia, and Shang Tsung remained on their feet.

"This time you will stay dead!" Liu Kang declared, pointing at him.

Shang Tsung narrowed his eyes."We shall see." He knew the blind swordsman would take offense to that remark.

Kenshi chuckled."Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time someone made a pun about my blindness, I'd be the richest man in the world. Alas, I'll just have to settle for hearing you scream in pain as I cut you open! So..." He grinned."Who wants to go first in beating this bastard to death? Ladies, perhaps?"

Jade/Delia nodded."Yes, thank you."

The green-clad woman sent Shang Tsung into the wall with a telekinetic burst. Kenshi used his own telekinesis to lift the sorcerer and slam him headfirst into the floor. As he rose, he was greeted with a kick to the face from Kitana, followed by Kung Lao's fist hitting him in the jaw. Liu Kang performed his Bicycle Kick and landed on his feet as Kitana used her Fan Lift to keep Shang Tsung airborne. Kung Lao and Liu Kang knelt down, forming cups with their hands. Kitana placed her hands on each of the monks' shoulders to steady herself before they launched her at Shang Tsung. The stealer of souls yelped as her feet connected with his chest, knocking and pinning him down. She backflipped to avoid the fiery skull he shot in her direction.

Shang Tsung jumped to his feet, glowing with a green aura as he ran toward his foes. A duo of fireballs were fired by Liu Kang and Jade/Delia whilst Kitana threw one of her fans and Kung Lao tossed his hat, both weapons aimed for the sorcerer's neck. With a laugh, Shang Tsung disappeared...

...and reappeared right behind Kitana to strike her with a low sliding kick. She fell, but managed to catch her fan in time to use it to block a fireball aimed for her face. Catching his hat, Kung Lao summersaulted to land behind Shang Tsung and slashed him across the back, evoking a cry of pain from his lips. Kenshi thrust his hands in front of him, using telekinesis to push him backwards.

The dazed Shang Tsung had no time to react as Jade/Delia (whose eyes were no longer glowing blue, indicating that Jade was in control) grabbed him by the chest with her staff and slammed him into the floor behind her. He kicked her legs out and tried to bring a foot down on her, only for her to thrust her leg out to kick him square in the face, stunning him long enough for her to grab his arm and flip him over her shoulder. Her eyes switched back to glowing blue. It was then that he realized Jade and Delia were constantly switching control to keep him on his toes. A clever tactic.

Landing in front of him, Kitana spun one way then reversed to kick him in the shin and backflipped to land beside her green-clad ally, who slammed a fiery fist into the ground to send a wave of flames at him. He teleported to reappear a few feet away from his adversaries and summoned three fiery skulls from the ground, launching them at Kitana, Liu Kang, and Kenshi. As they rolled out of the way, he kicked Jade/Delia in the chest before spinning around to give Kung Lao a roundhouse kick that knocked him to the floor with a thud.

Kenshi charged with Sento raised over his head. Shang Tsung ducked and rolled as the swordsman swung for his neck multiple times, managing to slash his arm as well as give him a cut on the cheek. The wounds stung a bit, but he'd suffered worse. Kenshi tossed Sento into the air, punched Shang Tsung in the face, caught Sento, and hit him in the head with pommel of his sword. He then swept him off his feet. Shang Tsung shot a flaming skull to knock Kenshi away and struggled to stand.

Jade/Delia struck him in the head with her staff and performed her Shadow Kick. He staggered back, struggling not to fall to his knees from pain and exhaustion. One thing was clear: he was not ready for this fight. He needed to escape, but how-

His train of thought was interrupted when Jade/Delia spun around to vanish in a cloud of green smoke and reappeared behind him to slam an elbow into his back. He hissed, the sound becoming a scream as she sent him face first into the wall with a powerful kick.

He was getting his backside handed to him. That was pure fact. He needed to somehow get the upper hand or escape. A smirk crossed his lips as an idea came to mind. As Jade/Delia approached him with the sorceress in control, he did something he knew would make her very upset: he shapeshifted into Daegon.

She lifted her chin."Taking my son's form will not give you his skill or strength." Despite her calm visage and voice, the twitching of her eye confirmed she was uncomfortable and irate with his taunting.

"What is the matter, Delia?" Shang Tsung sneered."Cannot bear to look at the face of the son you failed to stop from becoming a monster? If you had merely killed him all those years ago, you would not be in this situation. Alas, you let your maternal feelings get in the way of your duty and therefore you are to blame for what he has become and what he has done. The self-blame and shame must be agonizing to endure-"

"Do not talk about my son." She hissed as she threw a fireball that struck him in the chest and caused his back to collide with the wall once more. He looked up to see her standing over and looking down at him with cold fury written across her features.

"I know what you are trying to do, sorcerer." She growled."And it will not work."

Shang Tsung lunged at her with his hand balled into a fist and uppercut her into the air. She landed on her back with a gasp.

"As much as I am enjoying this little reunion," The stealer of souls drawled sarcastically as he dusted himself off,", I am afraid it must be cut short."

"Yeah, I don't think so." All heads turned to see Takeda Takahashi, Jacqueline Briggs, Kung Jin, Jax, Quan Chi, and Sonya Blade standing in the doorway. The son of Kenshi, having been the one to deliver the words, was glaring at the man responsible for his father's blindness.

"Not until we get a turn to beat the shit out of you too." Jax said.

At this point, Sindel, Ermac, Kotal Kahn, Fujin, Erron Black, Hanzo Hasashi, Bo' Rai Cho, and Li Mei had recovered and were eager to join their allies' game of using Shang Tsung as a punching bag.

Takeda launched his whip to grab Shang Tsung and dragged him closer with a spin tug, allowing Jacqui and Jax to both punch him in the face. Stunned, he was unable to stop Sonya from kicking him to the ground. Kung Jin shot an arrow into his shoulder, grinning at the scream this evoked from the sorcerer. No sooner had Shang Tsung removed the arrow from his shoulder did a kunai attached to a metal chain pierce that same shoulder.

"Get over here!" Hanzo Hasashi yelled, yanking him backwards. Li Mei fired a purple ball of energy that brought Shang Tsung to his knees. He rose, only to fall again when Bo' Rai Cho backhanded him. Fujin spun like a tornado, sucking Shang Tsung in before delivering a kick to the chest which sent him into Kotal Kahn. The emperor drew his dagger and shoved it into the same shoulder that had been pierced by Kung Jin's arrow and Hanzo Hasashi's kunai. Removing the dagger, Kotal kicked him toward Erron Black, who pistol-whipped him. Quan Chi passed his leg through a portal to kick Shang Tsung from behind then fired a green flaming skull at him. Sindel used her hair to grab and toss him at Ermac/Jerrod, who roundhouse kicked him with such force that he crashed into a nearby table.

Shang Tsung let out a miserable groan of agony. He was outnumbered, outmatched, and, if he did not get out of here, dead. The fact that everyone in the room wanted to kill him did not help matters. As he was surrounded by his victorious foes, he noticed something in Sonya's pocket: Triborg's data chip. With wide eyes and an evil grin, he teleported to reappear behind her, catching her in a headlock and quickly reaching into her pocket to steal the data chip. Her elbow dug into his ribcage and in retaliation, he flung her at Jax. The two collided with a simultaneous yelp and rolled across the ground, but were on their feet in an instant.

"He's got Triborg's data chip!" Sonya yelled in dismay.

Jax looked at her like she was crazy and/or stupid."You carried that thing with you?!"

"Even after that damn robot made punching bags out of almost all of us?!" Jacqui added.

Shang Tsung laughed."And now it is mine!" He held it up for all of them to see.

"Stop him!" Fujin shouted, but it was too late, because Shang Tsung had opened a portal and fled. The last thing he heard before the portal closed were the vexed shouts of his enemies as they failed to stop him from making his escape.

Once he was safely at his island where the Mortal Kombat tournament would soon be held, he examined the data chip in his hand with a smile then put it away for later. There were other things he needed to do first.

It was time for some old friends to return as well...

* * *

 _I can honestly say that I greatly enjoyed writing this chapter. In my opinion, there's only one thing better than Raiden getting his ass whopped in this story and that's Shang Tsung getting the shit beated out of him by Liu Kang, Kitana, Kenshi, Kung Lao, and Jade/Delia especially. Hopefully, you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 52:Goro_


	53. Chapter 52:Goro

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"She narrowed her eyes. "What is our heart's desire?"

"Vengeance." His voice was soft, as if he were afraid that someone might be listening. "Justice." Prince Doran pressed the onyx dragon into her palm with his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered, "Fire and blood."  
— George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))

 **Chapter 52:Goro**

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 _I am not simple. I am a_ _ **prince**_ _._

Goro continued to say those words to himself everyday since having his arms restored. It hadn't been his intention to join the Red Dragon Clan, but it suited his purpose. Even with his arms restored, he would not be able to defeat Kotal Kahn or Sheeva alone, so he swore loyalty to the demigod and became one of his lieutenants. A few days later, they went to Shang Tsung's Island to investigate the aftermath of Havik's failure and found a legless Skarlet. In exchange for her legs being restored, she also swore loyalty to the Red Dragon leader and was named his second lieutenant. Goro wasn't surprised: with the deaths of Hsu Hao and Mavado as well as several other men over the years thanks to his involvement with lost causes, Daegon was in desperate need of new members.

Despite his oath, Goro was not loyal to Daegon. He was merely biding his time. His gift of Kenshi Takahashi helped him earn Daegon's favor. However, it turned out that Special Forces had been searching for Goro under Sheeva's request. The queen was worried that the prince would fulfill his promise to return and exact revenge on those who betrayed him, so Kenshi was sent to track down him. Kintaro was dead, but he doubtless informed Sheeva of Goro's promise to return, hence her asking Special Forces to find him.

Little did Kenshi know, Goro had been tracking him down too. He was aware of Kenshi's time as a spy in the Red Dragon Clan and that the grandmaster wanted his treacherous head on a stick. It was a brutal fight, but Kenshi underestimated his opponent's desperation. Once the swordsman was disarmed, Goro managed to defeat him, and presented him to Daegon. By the time Daegon realized a tracking device had been planted on Kenshi by Sonya Blade, it was too late. Their base was attacked by Special Forces a week later. A vengeful Kenshi fought with Daegon, but lost due to the extent of his injuries.

Only 200 members, including the grandmaster and his two new lieutenants, survived the attack and escaped with the enslaved dragon Caro. Goro expected Daegon to lose himself in his fury, yet the son of Argus surprised him by showing how different he was from Shao Kahn and Kano. Shao Kahn had spoken of his defeat at the hands of Argus's sons and their dragons during his invasion of Edenia. He took pride in being responsible for the scar over Daegon's right eye in spite of his initial failure to conquer Edenia. Kano constantly grumbled his hatred for his rival. The emperor and Black Dragon leader both tended to jump into war without thinking. Daegon did not do that. He was patient in rebuilding his clan and plotting his revenge. His fallen men received honorable memorials and were not to be spoken ill of as their sacrifice brought him closer to victory and strengthened his resolve. Niether Shao Kahn nor Kano ever did that for their dead. But again, Goro was not loyal to Daegon. Skarlet, on the other hand...

The construct served as the first and so far sole female member of the clan. Her new choice of attire, a crimson catsuit, made her stick out from the others and earned her several lustful glances. Given her additional status as Daegon's paramour, however, they knew better than to do anything besides ogle. Fear of arousing their leader's ire aside, Skarlet's blood powers made her a dangerous person to cross. It was because of this that they kept their distance. There was no questioning her loyalty to Daegon nor the demigod's trust in her. The same did not apply to the Shokan Prince.

Goro followed orders, but did not bow, kneel, or pray to Daegon as his fellow Red Dragons did. Princes did not do those things. Daegon showed no signs of caring, but the narrowing of his eye every now and then conveyed that he was keeping a close eye on the Shokan in case he betrayed him. After witnessing what Kenshi suffered for his treachery, Goro understood the importance of staying on the demigod's good side, although he was not going to grovel like a peasant. Skarlet watched him cautiously, warning him daily of what would happen if he became a traitor to the clan.

When Goro first met Skarlet, she'd been a mere tool of Shao Kahn's. She was almost always chained in the coliseum and released as a last resort. She hadn't spoken much if at all. Her loyalty to the emperor was unquestionable. Now, she hardly spoke of her former master unless it involved insulting him for using her as a slave and preventing her from thinking for herself. She resented Mileena for being Shao Kahn's favorite and was not saddened by her death. Goro cared not for the clone. He chose to defect to her side out of desire to restore his race to glory. Of course, he did not expect his people to betray him after Gorbak's death at Kotal's hands. Sheeva and Kintaro, both of whom he once considered friends, had done nothing to aid him. The former stole his throne whilst the latter mocked him.

The look of horror and grief on Sheeva's face as all five of her champions were murdered right in front of her brought a smirk to Goro's lips. Daegon's sorcery helped strengthen him in battle, allowing him to easily eliminate his rivals. In addition to her sorrowful visage, Sheeva's screams of agony when he broke her upper arms were music to his ears. She'd made the mistake of charging at him in a blind rage and paid for it dearly. He could not wait to hear her dying breaths as he plunged his Dragon Teeth into her heart and sent her to join Kintaro and her champions in the afterlife.

For Kotal Kahn, he had another treatment in mind. He would torture Reptile, Erron Black, Ermac, and Ferra/Torr to death while forcing the Osh-Tekk to watch helplessly before killing him as well. His father's murder would be avenged.

"Thinking out loud again?" Goro was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice questioning him. Daegon and Skarlet were standing in the doorway, the former's arm wrapped around the latter's shoulders whilst her arm was wrapped around his waist to support his weight. The son of Argus was wincing in pain, a sharp contrast to his blank facial expression. Goro was unsure as to who posed the question to him until the red-clan woman spoke.

"While I understand your desire to avenge Gorbak's murder, you do realize that it is fitting for Kotal to have killed your father, seeing as you killed his father first?" She avoided eye contact as she focused more on helping Daegon get to and sit on a bench than looking at whom she was speaking to.

Reluctant as Goro was to admit it, she had a point: he had started this conflict by murdering Kotal's father and lost his own father along with his arms as a result. This did nothing to lessen his anger, however.

Crossing his arms, Goro leaned against the wall."Kotal failed to realize something when he cut off my arms and dishonored me: all fathers love their sons."

Daegon laughed humorlessly."Had you met my father and seen the way he treated me in contrast to how he treated my brother, you would understand what rubbish that phrase is." He grunted as he clutched his side, not bothering to hide that he was in pain. At Goro's curious raising of the eyebrows, he said,"Training with Raiden is...harsher than I expected."

"So I see." The Shokan replied with a nod.

Skarlet sat next to the Red Dragon leader and began massaging his shoulders as he shut his eye and sighed contentedly. Goro rolled his eyes; these two were never discreet in his presence. He was starting to wonder if this was payback for his snoring habit and tendency to think out loud.

"Is it wise for him to train you so brutally when we are so close to the tournament?" She asked."You are stressed enough as it is." Her tone hardened with uncharacteristic concern that caused Goro to roll his eyes again.

Daegon opened his eye and shrugged her off. She folded her hands in her lap. Even with the mask, Goro could tell her lips were pressed together in discontent.

"I can handle a few lightning bolts and blasts just fine, Skarlet." Daegon said icily, not looking at her."And should I become seriously injured during a training session, which is unlikely, Raiden will heal me."

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat brought the trio's attention to the doorway where Nitara stood. The vampiress's arms were wrapped around herself and her eyes were narrowed as if she were troubled."Forgive my interruption, but Raiden requests our presence in the meeting room." She turned and walked away without checking to see if they were following her.

Despite the pain in his body, Daegon opted to walk on his own with a reluctant Skarlet and impatient Goro following closely behind. Nitara held the door open for them.

In the meeting room was a long table similar to the kind one might see in an Earthrealm office building. Raiden sat at the head of the table with Hotaru at his right. Daegon hurried to take his own seat at the deity's left. Skarlet and Goro sat beside their leader. Kano sat next to Hotaru with Tremor, Jarek, and Tasia nearby while Tanya and D'Vorah were seated on either side of each other. Nitara slowly slid into the chair at the far end of the table so she was as far away from Raiden as possible.

With all his enforcers present, Raiden snapped his fingers and a familiar face stepped out of the shadows: Shang Tsung.

"What the hell?" Kano exclaimed, gawking.

D'Vorah's eyes widened."How..."

"I must be going blind." Nitara muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"By the Elder Gods..." Tanya mumbled.

Horaru's blank expression faltered slighty as his eyebrows rose."Well, this is certainly unexpected."

"That is impossible!" Goro shouted.

Skarlet pointed at the sorcerer."Shao Kahn killed you! I was there! I saw it happen!"

Shang Tsung chuckled."Death is only a temporary hindrance for someone like myself. I would have thought you all had learned that by now."

"Why are you here, sorcerer?" Raiden demanded, not deigning to look at him.

"To join you, of course." Shang Tsung replied as if it were obvious. He took out a data chip and handed it to Raiden. He whispered something into his ear that caused the deity's eyes to widen before narrowing as he nodded. Stepping back, the stealer of souls continued."And I did not come alone."

As if on cue, six cloaked figures stepped into view. The figures all removed their hoods, revealing themselves to be none other than Mavado, Baraka, Mileena, Kobra, Reiko, and Havik.

Mileena giggled at everyone's shocked expressions."Surprised to see us?"

Goro believed it was now safe to say that death was overrated.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Bro - Will do! :)_

 _Guest 1 - Cassie and Kevin, you say? Hmm...shrugs mischievously._

 _Guest 2 - You got that right. And as this chapter has showed you, he's not the only one._

 _Next up: Chapter 53:Mavado_


	54. Chapter 53:Mavado

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust."  
— Klaus Balkenhol

 **Chapter 53:Mavado**

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All hell broke loose.

If Mavado were to think of a single sentence to describe the situation, it would be this. A second after Mileena's question was posed, the room exploded into chaos. Ironically, Hotaru was the one to start it by lunging at Havik with his naginata. The Cleric of Chaos drew his mace to block the attack. Reiko rolled to avoid a kunai thrown at him by Skarlet. He was in the process of rising when she tackled him. Mileena and Baraka charged at D'Vorah, who flew up and glowered down at them from above. The Black Dragon Clan were crawling under the table. Mavado, Tanya, Nitara, Goro, Daegon, and Shang Tsung simply watched the scene with wide eyes.

"Enough!" Raiden screamed as he raised a hand to electrocute everyone, including those who weren't participating in the chaos. Although the electrocution lasted for a minute, it felt like an hour passed when Raiden finally relented.

Ignoring the pain in his body, Mavado ran to Daegon, who was on his knees and groaning in pain as if he were already weak prior to this. Mavado offered him a hand up. Daegon gazed at the offered hand for a moment before allowing his newly resurrected enforcer to help him up. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tanya and Baraka aiding Mileena. He also saw the red-haired construct and dark-skinned Outworlder struggling to stand. Skarlet glared daggers at Reiko. He smirked at her, earning himself a fist to the face. He landed on his side with a yelp, covering his busted lip with his hand.

"That was for leaving me to die." She hissed. Mavado smiled; there was truly nothing worse than the fury of a woman scorned.

The last thing Mavado remembered was Cassandra Cage finishing him with his own hookswords while Jacqueline Briggs restrained him. Naturally, he was surprised to find himself alive on Shang Tsung's island. He was not pleased to see Kobra or Reiko, as he initially refused to work with the Black Dragon Clan and blamed Reiko for his demise, seeing as he'd died to capture Cassandra and Jacqueline for the Outworlder. He calmed down once Shang Tsung explained why he'd revived them. Upon hearing that Daegon had formed an uneasy truce with Kano to serve Raiden, Mavado decided to let his resentment go for the time being. The same could not be said for the others.

Hotaru and Havik were both on their knees, glowering at each other with such malice it brought new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

Hotaru pointed at Havik."I will not work with this monster!"

Havik laughed."You would call **me** a monster? He who oppresses his people and denies them the freedom-"

"Freedom leads to chaos!"

"Exactly!" Havik hissed."Order relies on stability whereas chaos relies on instability. Face facts, Hotaru; your control over this realm weakens everyday. It won't be long-" He was unable to finish his speech as Raiden grabbed the Seidan General and Cleric of Chaos and slammed their heads together. They yelped, clutching their foreheads and rubbing their temples while groaning in agony.

Mavado didn't know if he should be amused or unimpressed. Sneaking a glance at Reiko, who was still covering his lip with his hand and ignoring the baleful look Skarlet shot him, Mavado could tell he was pleased at witnessing his murderer be made a chump of. Kano wasn't bothering to hide his mirth; the Black Dragon leader was laughing so hard that tears poured out of his non-mechanical eye. Daegon crossed his arms as he futilely fought to prevent a ghost of a smile from touching his lips.

"Are you both finished with your childish behavior?" Raiden growled at the respective leaders of Orderrealm and Chaosrealm.

"Raiden." Hotaru said, struggling to stand."I am willing to work with the Black Dragon, but not Havik! His goals are the exact opposite of ours. Surely you can see-" He shut his mouth when Raiden lifted a hand to interrupt him.

Turning away from the rivals, Raiden took out the data chip Shang Tsung had given him and examined it."Triborg, you said it was called?" He questioned the stealer of souls.

Shang Tsung smiled."It houses the consciousness of Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke, and Sub-Zero as well as their powers. Sonya Blade, in a state of idiotic desperation, activated the cyborg without installing a failsafe program. Triborg attacked her and the others the moment it was activated. One cannot deny what a powerful weapon it could be if properly taken care of."

Raiden nodded. He tossed the data chip to Kano, who easily caught it."Kano, Daegon, I do not care which one of you does so, but work on activating Triborg in time for the tournament. See to it that the cyborg is fully under our control and does not go rogue as it previously did due to Sonya Blade's foolishness."

Kano started to reply, but trailed off when Daegon snatched the data chip and handed it to Mavado."I will have my best men begin working on it immediately." The demigod said, paying no attention to Kano's death glare. Mavado coughed into his fist to hide a chuckle, the flickering of Daegon and Kano's eyes in his direction informing him that they didn't buy his act.

Shang Tsung extended a hand to offer a handshake."Are we allies then, Raiden?"

Raiden tentatively accepted the offered handshake."Yes, Shang Tsung, we are allies. However," He sent a burst of electricity through his hand that brought the sorcerer to his knees and leaned in to growl,", do not cross me or I will make you wish you stayed dead. Am I understood?" Shang Tsung smiled weakly and nodded."Good." Raiden waved a hand at the six recently resurrected warriors."The same goes for all of you."

Bowing, Mavado placed a hand over his heart."If Lord Daegon is on your side, Lord Raiden, then so am I."

Reiko copied Mavado's movement, but kept quiet.

"You can count on me too." Kobra said. Kano placed a hand on his shoulder.

Baraka moved closer to Mileena."I do whatever Empress Mileena commands me to."

Mileena touched her comrade's arm whilst keeping her eyes on Raiden."I only request permission to kill my 'sister' and usurper."

"No!" Goro protested."Lord Raiden has given **me** his blessing to kill Kotal Kahn!"

And just like that, Goro and Mileena began arguing like children over a toy. Goro insisted he had the right to kill Kotal Kahn for amputating his arms and murdering his father, to which Mileena replied that Goro didn't need to avenge the loss of his arms because he got them back and argued that she had the right to kill Kotal Kahn for stealing her throne and turning Ermac against her. Even though Goro admitted she was correct about his arms, he still wished for justice for Gorbak.

Skarlet groaned. Reiko, for his part, rolled his eyes. Neither seemed surprised by Goro or Mileena's behavior.

Mavado pointed at the bickering duo."Did they do this often?"

"Yes." The construct and general said in unison then glared at each other. Reiko started to approach Skarlet, but stopped when Daegon blocked him. The demigod fixed him with a cold stare.

Reiko scoffed."Still sour about the men you lost during the Blood Code?" He was obviously aware that Mavado was one of those men.

Daegon narrowed his eye."Do you truly want me to answer that?"

Havik snickered."I certainly do."

Hotaru sneered."No one asked for your opinion, Chaosrealmer!"

"I don't recall anyone asking for **your** opinion either, Seidan." Havik retorted.

Suddenly, Goro and Mileena were lifted within electric cocoons, turned upside down, and slammed headfirst into the floor. Baraka growled at Raiden for hurting his empress. The malice in his eyes vanished when Raiden sent him such a murderous look that he whimpered as if he were a frightened puppy. Seriously, Mavado thought, was Shao Kahn so desperate for allies that he was forced to settle for this cowardly Tarkatan brute? **Kano** was smarter than this barbarian.

"Shut up!" Raiden couldn't possibly be angrier."Shut up, shut up, shut up!" His eyes were wild with rage."By the Elder Gods, am I dealing with adults or children?" They hung their heads in shame and apologized."Save your apologies. We have more important things to worry about than petty rivalries. I have already agreed to Shang Tsung's offered alliance, meaning you have all agreed to it as well, so deal with it. I am especially disappointed in **you** , Hotaru. If Daegon and Kano can put aside their differences, why can you and Havik not do the same? This is precisely what Darrius wants: for you to be so caught up in your stubbornness that he will have no issue defeating you. Is that what you wish for?"

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Hotaru shook his head."No." He scowled at Havik."Thank Raiden for your life, Chaosrealmer."

"Actually," Shang Tsung chuckled,", he should be thanking **me** for his life, seeing as **I** resurrected him."

"A serious error in judgement." Hotaru grumbled, sighing."But, I suppose beggars cannot be choosers, as Earthrealmers are fond of saying. I've learned they are quite fond of saying many wise and unwise things."

"Oh, grow up." Tanya said with a roll of her eyes.

"I completely agree." Daegon murmured.

Kano grunted."For once, so do I."

"And I." Nitara added.

D'Vorah nodded."As does This One."

"Do not start up again." Raiden warned."Now, everyone except for Hotaru, Havik, and Shang Tsung leave this room. The four of us have much to discuss." He frowned at their hesitation to obey the order and moved to electrocute them once more then smirked as they fled from the room and slammed the door behind them. Mavado swore he heard Raiden cackling at their fearful reactions to his threat.

"Note to self." Mavado whispered."Don't get on Raiden's bad side. **Ever**."

No one dared disagree with him on that.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _BrutusSilentium - Yes, yes I am. ;)_

 _Guest - Hsu Hao may (heavy emphasis on '_ _ **may**_ _') appear in a few flashbacks, but I can guarantee that he won't play any actual role in the story. Seriously, if the creators of the series do not love or love to hate the character they've created, what makes them think the fans will feel any differently and what does that tell people about said character's future? Or lack thereof, I should say._

 _Next up: Chapter 54:Kung Jin_


	55. Chapter 54:Kung Jin

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac."  
— George Orwell

 **Chapter 54:Kung Jin**

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Today hadn't been a good day for anyone.

First, Li Mei's village was destroyed by Hotaru under the orders of Raiden. Second, Shang Tsung returned from the dead and stole Triborg's data chip because Sonya decided to keep said item in her pocket. Third, if everyone wasn't already on edge, today's events definitely changed that.

The entire day was spent moving their base of operations to Outworld. In addition to the Edenian Resistance setting up camp within the walls surrounding Kotal Kahn's palace, the Seidan Resistance was now doing the same. The original plan was to escort Darrius's forces to Earthrealm. With recent events, however, Fujin decided it would be best for them to stick together. The Lin Kuei, along with Cassie and Kevin, were moved to Kotal's palace. Secretary Blake and Colonel Flagg stayed in Earthrealm to look after things in General Blade's absence. Vera Briggs was also escorted to Outworld. In other words, they were packed together like sardines in a can and paranoid with a capital P.

In just a few short days, everything went to hell. And it all started during their mission with Sareena in the Netherrealm...

When the revenants described Raiden's corruption, he wasn't sure what to think. Once he laid eyes on the corrupted deity, however, he realized how accurate Kitana's description of him was. The kind, patient, benevolent Protector of Earthrealm who'd helped Jin overcome his past as a thief by encouraging him to join the Shaolin was gone. The merciful nature Jin admired Raiden for had been replaced by a ruthlessness and sadism that made Shao Kahn and Shinnok pale in comparison.

Jin had personally witnessed Shinnok's coldheartedness and heard stories about Shao Kahn's savagery. The atrocities they committed were horrible, but were nothing compared to what Raiden had done. From invading Outworld, kidnapping Cassie, attacking the Lin Kuei and Edenian Resistance, manipulating the Shirai Ryu, to ordering the destruction of Li Mei's village...there were no limitations to his actions, no care for whom was killed, wounded, or traumatized, no remorse...

So much had happened before the tournament even started. This was the calm before the storm, yet he didn't feel calm; he felt afraid, angry, and confused.

Sighing, Jin nocked an arrow and shot it at the target. Bullseye. His sixth bullseye in a row to be exact.

The sun was just beginning to set, signaling the end of a very long, stressful day for their forces. He could hear Darrius soothing the fears of his fellow Sedians with fancy words and assurances while Kitana and Sindel consoled their people. Bo' Rai Cho was in the midst of a training session with Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Erron Black, Kai, and Liu Kang. Shujinko had arrived a few hours ago after making sure the Kang Temple was well taken care of in his absence and was currently trying to comfort Li Mei, who sat in the middle of the courtyard, clutching her Kunlun Dao as if she feared losing her weapon too. Everyone else was inside the palace resting or dealing with other things.

Kung Lao sat a feet away from his cousin, meditating. His wrist was still bandaged, though he promised to remove the bandage tonight as well as not to hurt himself ever again. Regardless, Jin intended to keep an eye on Lao to ensure he kept his promise.

Tired of target practice, Jin took a seat beside Lao. The elder Kung cousin opened his eyes and patted the younger man on the shoulder.

"As soon as the clock strikes midnight, we will have one day before the tournament." Lao stated the obvious.

Jin leaned forward to rest his chin on his fist."Think we're ready?"

Lao sighed deeply."Honestly? No. Things have changed since the last Mortal Kombat tournament. Back then it was Raiden who led us against Shao Kahn."

"Now Fujin, Kotal Kahn, and Liu Kang are leading us against Raiden." Jin said."I've heard stories about Shao Kahn, how insane he was, how desperately he wanted to conquer Earthrealm."

"Insane and desperate do not begin to cover it." The duo looked up to see Taven leaning against a nearby tree."I speak from personal experience. I'll never forget how he invaded Edenia. Orin, Caro, Daegon, and I barely managed to defeat him and even then it was not a satisfactory victory. We were all wounded, exhausted, irate, and terrified of what he would do next."

Jade/Delia appeared beside Taven. Her glowing blue eyes indicated that Delia was in control."Even to this day, the mention of his name is enough to make one shudder in fear and disgust." She frowned as she glanced at the sky."His legacy will haunt us forever. As will Shinnok's."

"Raiden's too." Jin added in a whisper. No one dared disagree with him on that.

"He won't give up." Taven said."Even if we win the tournament, he will find another way."

"And the Elder Gods will do nothing to stop him." Delia said sadly.

"To hell with the Elder Gods." Taven spat."Especially Shinnok and father."

"Taven." Delia scolded, fixing her son with an icy glare.

Taven shook his head."Growing up, I admired the Elder Gods because I thought they were kind, benevolent deities. I see now how wrong I was. Shinnok lied to us the entire time while Argus failed as both a father and Protector of Edenia. He wasn't there to help Daegon, Caro, Orin and I in repelling Shao Kahn's initial invasion of Edenia nor did he serve as a proper parent to either of my brothers. Daegon was treated worse than a spec of dirt whilst Rain was rejected and abandoned. I said I would always love and respect him, but recently I've found myself thinking differently about that as well."

"The Elder Gods have never lifted a finger to help Earthrealm or Edenia." Lao muttered bitterly."We are on our own. As we have always been."

Jin scoffed."And they wonder why nobody prays to them anymore." He frowned."You know, as pissed as I am with Raiden and everything he's done, I feel sorry for him. He didn't **ask** to be corrupted. He was willing to die to save Earthrealm by purifying the Jinsei and now he's the bad guy. That isn't fair. If this is what he gets for being a hero, maybe he should've died instead. When I was talking to Cassie yesterday, she mentioned a phrase she heard in a movie a few years ago: 'You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.' She said she thought it was stupid until she saw what Raiden did and I'm pretty inclined to agree with her."

Taven snorted."Did he electrocute her in response? That seems to be his reaction to anyone who questions or lectures him."

"Most of us are perfect examples of that." Lao murmured."Liu Kang and I, after seeing his reaction to our arrival to aid the Edenian Resistance, wondered if there was still some bit of a conscience within him. At the Sky Temple, we voiced these thoughts to him. He reacted the same way he did to everyone else who berated him: electrocution."

Delia sighed."I am not surprised."

Jin lowered his eyes."I remember when General Blade, Jacqui, Takeda, Jax, and I burst into Cassie's room before Raiden and Kano kidnapped her. We were all shocked when he said he was gonna merge Outworld with Earthrealm. I warned him he would become a tyrant no better than Shao Kahn and, well, you can guess how he responded to that."

"Perhaps if you had watched your mouth, you would not have been electrocuted." The voice was cold, blunt, unsettling, irritable, and unpleasantly familiar. Jin, Lao, Taven, and Delia looked up to see the subject of their discussion levitating mere feet above them.

Jin's eyes widened."Speak of the devil..."

In an instant, Lao was on his feet, grabbing Jin and forcing the archer to stand behind him as he glared up at his former mentor. Delia took on a protective stance in front of Taven. It didn't take long for the others to notice Raiden's presence; within seconds, they were at the scene and ready for a fight. Liu Kang, Fujin, and Kotal Kahn stood at the front, matching Raiden's glare with their own.

"What are you doing here?" Fujin demanded."The tournament has not yet begun."

Smiling, Raiden lifted his hands in a gesture of peace."Calm yourselves. I have no wish to fight, only to talk."

"You've had plenty of chances to talk!" Sonya growled."Instead, you electrocuted almost all of us and threatened to kill us!"

Raiden scowled."I do not recall giving you permission to speak, Sonya Blade."

"Well, I don't recall fucking asking for your permission!" She spat. Johnny gently grasped her arms to restrain her. She offered no protest. Lao reached behind him to grab Jin's arm, urging him to move back as well.

Raiden scoffed, rolling his eyes."How I managed to endure your insolence for so many years is beyond me. A relief we are no longer on the same side."

"Leave the Cage family alone." Fujin hissed."You have tormented Johnny, Sonya, and Cassandra enough."

"Tormented?" Raiden gave a slow, chilling laugh."You have eyes, but will not see. I am merely-"

"Oh, shut up already!" Jin yelled, tired of the bullshit. He pointed a furious finger at the deity."Why don't you just admit it? You don't care about protecting Earthrealm. All you care about is power. You like torturing and killing other people because it makes you feel good. You don't give a damn for anybody who suffers or dies at your hands because you enjoy putting them through that agony! That's exactly how Shao Kahn would act!"

Rather than scream at the boy for comparing him to his enemy, Raiden flew down to land in front of the Kung duo. Lao maintained his protective position, shielding his cousin from Raiden's view.

"Back off, Raiden." Kai said. Raiden was clearly surprised to see Kai, Shujinko, and Bo' Rai Cho glaring at him. His surprise quickly faded, however, and was replaced by displeasure.

"Kai." The Thunder God greeted."Do you still blame me for Liu Kang and Kung Lao's deaths?"

Kai clenched his fists."I've never truly hated or blamed you for anything. What I do hate is what you've become."

"As do I." Bo' Rai Cho agreed.

"You should not be surprised." Shujinko commented.

"I am not." Raiden replied, turning away from them.

"Raiden." Liu Kang called, causing his former mentor to turn to him."You said Kung Lao and I were sons to you. Would a father electrocute his own sons as you did to us at the Sky Temple?"

Raiden shut his eyes. For a moment, he seemed remorseful. That moment passed before anyone could blink. Snapping his fingers, he opened his eyes and caused a portal to open. Mileena and Baraka stepped out of the portal.

Kitana and Kotal gasped in unison."You!" They pointed at Mileena. Ruby and Rain exchanged a glance, equally unhappy with the clone's return. Although Delia remained in control of Jade's body, she seemed to share their discontent.

"Hello, sister and usurper." Mileena said."Shang Tsung was kind enough to restore Baraka, Reiko, Havik, Mavado, Kobra, and I to life. I take it, Lord Raiden, that they have refused to surrender?"

Raiden shook his head."I am not certain if I should even ask them anymore. Elder Gods knows how stubborn they are."

"Empress Mileena? Commander Baraka?" The Tarkatans easily recognized the duo."You both live!"

"Oh no." Ruby whispered, realizing they were going to turn against them if they didn't do something fast.

"That we do." Baraka said."Therefore, you no longer have to serve these untrustworthy Edenians."

Ruby scoffed."Untrustworthy Edenians? You do remember Tanya is on your side, yes?"

"And Rain is on yours." Mileena sneered."Tanya informed me of Rain's plan to kill me via Shinnok's amulet. I also know that you and the other Edenians were in on Rain's scheme, Ruby. I suppose I should not be surprised."

"Be silent, abomination!" Kitana growled then turned to the Tarkatans."Tarkatans, hear me! You agreed to serve me and I am more than willing to offer you all a home in Edenia once this war is over in exchange for your loyalty, but you must stay on my side for that to happen! Mileena and Baraka are pawns to Raiden. Should you join them, you will be pawns as well!"

"Do not listen to her!" Mileena shouted."Do you not see she is working with the usurper as well as the man who planned to betray me?"

"Are you and Baraka not working with D'Vorah?" Kotal questioned."Is it not ironic for you to ally with your executioner?"

"She executed us under your orders!" Baraka snarled. That was ultimately what convinced the Tarkatans to switch sides while a saddened Kitana watched.

"Just when I was assuming their kind had standards." Rain grumbled.

Raiden waved a hand at his foes."You have one chance and one chance only to surrender and I will spare you."

Kotal, Fujin, and Liu Kang looked at one another before adressing Raiden.

"Go." Kotal said.

"To." Fujin added.

"Hell." Liu Kang finished.

"Because that's where you'll end up anyway once we're done with you!" Kenshi spat.

"Very well." Raiden raised a hand to teleport himself and his allies away."You have chosen war." In a flash of light, their enemies were gone.

Jin sighed."Guess it's official now."

"Definitely." Takeda said with a nod.

"That crazy deity just declared World War III on us." Jacqui stated.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - You don't really expect me to answer that, do you? You should know how evil I am by now, darling. ;)_

 _BrutusSilentium - Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

 _Snafu the Great - I completely agree._

 _Bro - Thank you and your wish has been granted._

 _Next up: Chapter 55:Tanya_


	56. Chapter 55:Tanya

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"To have a traitor for an ally is to have an enemy in waiting"  
— Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1))

 **Chapter 55:Tanya**

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"Empress, do you have a moment?"

The question was spoken in a sultry tone of voice by the white-eyed female standing in the doorway. Immediately, Mileena turned away from Baraka to face the speaker. Even with the mask, Tanya could tell the clone was grinning at her. Baraka's eyes narrowed, conveying his displeasure at his empress's attention being stolen from him. Jealousy was written all over his features, which Tanya enjoyed.

"Of course, Dearest Tanya." Mileena replied in an equally alluring tone."Baraka, leave us."

"But-" He started to protest, only to be interrupted by Tanya.

"You heard Mileena Kahnum." Tanya knew the other woman loved it when she used her title, especially in that seductive tone of hers. She waved a dismissive hand at the male Tarkatan."Run along now."

"Yes, leave." Mileena didn't bother to look at him as she spoke."Tanya and I must talk in private. Now go."

Clenching his fists, Baraka bowed."As you command, Empress." He exited the room, deliberately bumping his shoulder past Tanya's on his way out. She scowled, but decided to make him pay for it later. At the moment, her attention was focused solely on her newly resurrected paramour.

Once the sound of Baraka's footsteps faded, Tanya gracefully kicked the door closed. She clasped her hands behind her back, tilted her head, tapped the top of her boot against the floor, and smiled coyly. The very picture of innocence she was, yet both women knew her to be anything but innocent. With a wink, she silently asked Mileena to come closer. Mileena lowered her mask, bolted toward Tanya, took her face in her hands, and pulled her into a kiss. She was careful with her teeth so she would not hurt her lover.

Rain's words rang in Tanya's head on an endless loop. She hated him for calling her a whore, but he wasn't wrong to say that she remained Mileena's concubine rather than advancing to a higher position like Reiko had when he seduced the ex-empress. Tanya knew Mileena cared for her, perhaps even loved her. What she didn't know was how she herself felt about the clone. It was no secret that her fellow Edenians despised Mileena for mocking Kitana, particularly Rain and Ruby. Tanya and Mileena were aware of Rain's feelings for Kitana as well as Ruby's friendship with the princess and her bodyguard Jade.

Tanya resisted the urge to growl at the thought of her rival. She and Jade never got along. She couldn't forgot the satisfied look on Jade's face when Ruby spat on Tanya on one occasion while Shao Kahn wasn't looking. Rain had made no effort to hide his amusement at the scene. It had been difficult working with Rain and Ruby, neither of whom hid their hatred for Mileena.

Tanya wasn't surprised when Rain revealed his plan to cause Mileena to kill herself via Shinnok's amulet. Their fellow Edenians knew Rain intended to betray Mileena from the start. That had been Tanya's initial intention too, but over time, her feelings toward Mileena changed. She'd developed an attachment to the former ruler of Outworld, yet chose not to inform her of Rain's scheme until after her resurrection at Shang Tsung's hands. Mileena assured Tanya she was not upset with her. It was the other Edenians she wanted to tear apart for their betrayal. Them, and Kitana, Kotal Kahn, and Jade. She and Baraka agreed to put aside their ill will toward D'Vorah, not that anyone had much of a choice unless they desired to be electrocuted by Raiden.

Excellent actress or not, Tanya hadn't been deceitful in her promise not to betray the Thunder God. She didn't fancy the idea of excruciating death or torture. Neither did D'Vorah, who matched her in terms of acting skills.

A free Edenia was no longer possible. At least not with Tanya in charge. Kotal Kahn had agreed to free Edenia for Kitana, but that wouldn't happen. Raiden would win and their foes would fall. Good then, she thought, let them suffer for calling her a whore and giving her as a gift to the revenants.

Breaking the kiss, Tanya took Mileena's hands in her own."It is good to have you back, Kahnum." She lowered her voice to an inciting whisper when uttering the title and slightly surprised herself with the genuineness of her confession.

Mileena giggled."It is good to be back, Dearest Tanya." Her voice became husky as she spoke the term of endearment."It must have been hellish without me."

"Indeed it was." Tanya nodded, biting her lip."Rain took over as leader and no one tried to stop him. Nor did they protest to him offering me as a gift to the revenants in exchange for their aid. Ruby unsurprisingly encouraged it. Despite my anger, I admit it was a cover plan, for it convinced Kitana to let him into hers and Liu Kang's palace. I would have no doubt stayed the Netherrealm dungeon until they decided to execute me if Lord Raiden hadn't come to free me."

Mileena snarled."Filthy treacherous beasts those Edenians." She lifted Tanya's chin with her fingers."A traitor you may be to them, Dearest, but not to me. You and Baraka are the only ones I can trust. He died for me and you have proven your loyalty to me time and again. I am not pleased with the fact that we must work with D'Vorah, Reiko, and Skarlet, but so long as I get to kill Kitana and Kotal, I do not mind too much."

"And I will kill Jade." Tanya said."I am afraid, however, that Rain and Ruby's lives are Daegon and Skarlet's to take. Lord Raiden has made it clear he will hear no argument regarding those two." She grinned."As for Kotal, perhaps if you are allowed to face him in the tournament, you will get your chance for revenge. But of course, that is sadly up to Shang Tsung and Lord Raiden to decide."

"Sadly indeed." Mileena grumbled. Then she smiled."No matter. Lord Raiden has declared war on Kotal Kahn's forces after they refused to surrender. The tournament is a little more than a day away. The usurper and his champions are still wounded from Raiden's invasion of Outworld as well as the Red Dragon Clan's assault. The Wind God's allies are also not in the best physical or mental condition. They will be easy to defeat."

Tanya pressed her lips together."Win or lose, neither side will give up. If we win the tournament, Fujin and Kotal will continue to resist and fight. If we lose the tournament, then we will continue to fight and attack. War is inevitable."

Mileena gave a nonchalant shrug."We have every advantage. It will be no hard task to defeat our enemies. Lord Raiden is not concerned; therefore, we should not be worried either. This will be an easy, quick victory. We needn't even give a large effort in our battle. Those fools will easily fall and regret their decision of not surrendering. I do not doubt it for a second."

Tanya nodded her head in agreement. There was no need to worry. Victory would be theirs, and they didn't have to shed a drop of sweat to earn that victory.

"If you don't mind, Empress," Tanya said as she pulled Mileena closer and moved to kiss her again,", I would like to change the subject."

Mileena giggled."I don't mind at all, Dearest."

* * *

 _Can anyone guess what's coming up soon? Other than Halloween of course? No? Well, I'll tell you: the 1 year anniversary of the day I began writing this story! Yay! So happy Halloween and happy soon to be_ _first_ _birthday to Mortal Kombat: Desperation! Lol. ;)_

 _In all honesty, I've hated Tanya since day 1 and can't stand reboot Mileena, but I am interested in the idea of them as a couple. In the original timeline, I slightly shipped Mileena and Baraka but in the reboot I was just like: Baraka? Baraka who? So while I don't like these two and don't necessarily ship them, I do find the idea interesting nonetheless and I know I'm not the only one with that opinion._

 _Anyway, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Jarjaxle - Not yet, but soon._

 _madmaxHojo36 - No apologies necessary. I enjoy getting constructive criticism so it's no bother. As for the critics you made, can't say much, I'm afraid without giving spoilers._

 _NeedsANewPename - Yeah, I've always seen Shang Tsung that way too. I can't say much about Triborg (spoilers and all). As for the Kevin cheerleading thing...no, just no. Believe me when I say Kevin is a thousand times more stubborn than Cassie. He's got a bone to pick with Kano too and he has no intention of sitting on the sidelines and letting someone else do it for him. This kid is hellbent on revenge and when pressed, more dangerous than Sonya in mama bear mode with mother hen tendencies._

 _Lightrunner - My original intention for this chapter was to have Jin confess to Lao his sexuality before Raiden, Baraka, and Mileena showed up but I changed my mind at the last minute because I came up with a different idea for his sexuality to play a part in the story. As for why I didn't mention it, well, they're about to go to war with Raiden and so matters like whom your heart desires are naturally the last thing on Jin's mind. He knows he can't afford to get distracted right now so he's shoving unrelated thoughts like those to the back of his mind. But I will have him trying to cope with being homosexual. Not for a little while, but it will happen. Just be patient with me. ;) As for the Tarkatans, I wanted to have half stay and half defect then figured 'who am I kidding? These guys are all blindly loyal idiots.' No offense Baraka and Mileena fans but it's true: reboot Baraka is a blindly loyal moron. I myself once had a soft spot for Mileena's character in the original timeline but I cannot stand reboot Mileena at all. If Shao Kahn and/or Mileena told Baraka to jump off a cliff with a rock tied to his head, he'd do it without hesitation and Mileena would do the same if Shao Kahn told her to. Seriously, how desperate and stupid do you have to be to trust Rain and Tanya of all people? You might as well commit hara-kiri at that point because you're as good as dead if you even think of trusting those two._

 _Next up: Chapter 56:Takeda Takahashi_


	57. Chapter 56:Takeda Takahashi

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Tears had been slipping through the cracks every five or six steps on the trail, and now the latch had burst—hidden cries from the man, buried cries from the son, and honest cries from the little boy all poured from my surrender."  
— Ed Abell (My Father's Keep: A Journey of Forgiveness through the Himalaya)

 **Chapter 56:Takeda Takahashi**

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"He's really lost it."

It was a statement of the obvious, one Takeda felt the need to voice. Raiden's insanity was no secret, but it wasn't until the Thunder God's declaration of war mere hours earlier that Takeda fully grasped how frightening the situation truly was. Cassie's kidnapping, the attack on the Lin Kuei, Hanzo's revelation of Raiden's threat to torture the young telepath, the destruction of Li Mei's village...each of those atrocities slowly fed his fear. Now there was nothing left to feed, because his fear had grown too large to be further fed.

War was coming. More death was coming. More suffering was coming. More sorrow was coming. More conflict was coming. There was no escaping the war, no denying the truth, no choice except to fight, no safe place to hide whilst Raiden was alive. If anyone was to feel safe, Raiden needed to be destroyed. Preparations for the tournament and war were being made. Kombatants and soldiers alike were being trained for the fight to come. Many people had already perished, and many more were going to die soon enough.

Takeda was no stranger to death. He'd lost his mother at the tender age of eight, lost his best friend and clan as a teenager, and seen the Lin Kuei corpses and ashy remains of Li Mei's people. Death was like an odious relative at family reunions one went out of his/her way to avoid, only to inevitably encounter at some point. Death was not the worse thing, but that didn't mean he enjoyed encountering it.

He wrapped an arm around Jacqui's waist, holding her close as she rested her head on his shoulder. The thought of losing his girlfriend or any of his teammates after the horrifying and tragic loss of Forrest Fox tore at his soul. Fox had been as much of a friend and sparring partner to him as a brother. Takeda didn't have siblings, so he regarded Fox as one. The grief he felt as he cut his brainwashed comrade down was a pain that would never leave him. At least Fox could rest in peace; no one was going to hurt or brainwash him ever again and he was reunited with the family he'd lost during the Netherrealm war.

"I'm still having trouble believing it." Cassie whispered, staring at her broken hand which was covered with a blue cast to match her eyes. Even in her condition, she maintained her sense of fashion. Were they not troubled by their current plight, her three friends would've smiled.

Takeda cleared his throat, wondering why it suddenly felt dry."Did he really threaten me?" His voice was low and filled with disquiet. The haunted look in Hanzo's eyes when he told his protege of Raiden's threat to torture him if he defected was a memory that would never leave him. Well, Hanzo **did** defect as a result of the deity's threat, to Takeda's relief. The possibility of fighting against his adoptive father (Kevin's question of if he wished Hanzo had officially adopted him continually replayed in his mind) was not a pleasant one and he was relieved to have avoided that.

Sighing, Cassie nodded."Yeah. Hanzo was tending to my wounds when Raiden stormed in and grabbed him by the throat. Apparently, Hanzo told Kano to fuck off and the scumbag tattled on him. Raiden said if Hanzo thought the torture he put me through was terrible, then he couldn't begin to imagine what he'd do to you."

"My god." Jin murmured, shaking his head as he leaned against the wall next to Cassie's bed.

Cassie covered her mouth with her good hand. Her eyes met Jacqui's."He even hinted that he would let Kano and his thugs have some fun with-" She shook her head as tears ran down her face and she choked on a sob."I just got so angry that I screamed and laughed at him when he moved to zap me a third time, then it turned out he was targeting Kevin instead. I literally threw myself at that monster's feet and **begged** him not to kill Kevin. I've never been that scared in my life. My parents talked about how crazy Shao Kahn was and I personally saw Shinnok's coldheartedness for myself not too long ago, but Raiden is way worse than both of them combined."

"Definitely." Jacqui nodded."My dad said Shao Kahn was a hothead with an insane temper. You knew to expect insanity from him. That's putting it mildly."

"And from Shinnok, you knew to expect that chillingly calm demeanor." Takeda added.

"But from Raiden, you don't know what to expect." Jin stated."One minutes he's calm and collected, the next he's cackling like a lunatic and screaming not to be compared to Shao Kahn and/or Shinnok.

"That's not even the worst part." Cassie bit her lip."I always knew Kano was a psychopath, but how can anybody do that," She pointed at a slumbering Kevin,", to their own kid?!" She scowled in disgust."How fucking screwed up do you have to be to torture your own flesh and blood to the point of near death?!"

Pity filled Takeda as he looked at the son of Kano. He'd harbored ill will toward his own father for ten years and a part of him would always have that tiny feeling of resentment in his heart, but Kenshi would go nuts if anyone laid a hand on his son and wouldn't hesitate to commit hara-kiri if he ever hit his child. Kano was a different story to say the least. Takeda's hatred for the cyber-eyed mercenary increased every time he saw how badly wounded and traumatized Kevin was in the aftermath of his father's 'training'. He knew he wasn't the only one with that opinion.

Cassie wiped her eyes."Takeda, you and I are constantly yammering about how our parents are failures and deadbeats, but they still love us. My mom went crazy when Jacqui and I were kidnapped a couple of years ago. According to my dad, she was so distraught after Raiden and Kano took me hostage that she was puking her guts out on one occasion and blaming herself in tears for my capture. If that's not parental love, I don't know what is."

Takeda lowered his eyes."My dad can't forgive himself for not being there for me as a kid. Hell, he **still** apologizes on a weekly basis although I keep assuring him I'm not mad anymore."

Jacqui frowned."I used to think my dad was a jerk 'cause he wouldn't stop treating me like a baby. It wasn't until I found out about his past as a revenant that I realized why he was so overprotective. Sure, he could be harsh sometimes, but he didn't once yell or raise a hand to me. Looking at Kevin and pondering the things Kano did to him makes me feel grateful for what I have."

When all heads turned to Jin to hear his contribution to the conversation, he sighed."Can we **not** talk about my parents?" There was a desperate, pitiful plea in his voice.

"Are you ever gonna tell them?" Takeda asked, knowing it was a pointless question. Jin had confessed his homosexuality to his teammates shortly after Shinnok's defeat and made them promise to keep it a secret. No one in his family knew.

"No." Jin scowled."They couldn't be more proud of me for playing a part in beating Shinnok and telling them my dirty little secret would ruin that pride."

"You could at least tell your cousin." Jacqui suggested.

"Sure, because the knowledge that his cousin who's helping him overcome his trauma and guilt is gay will **really** make him feel better. No, he wouldn't accept me if he knew the truth."

" **We** accepted you." Cassie touched Jin's arm."Why wouldn't he?"

"I'm not telling him. End of discussion. Can we please drop this? My romantic preferences should be the last thing on our minds at the moment."

Cassie rolled her eyes."Alright, alright, point taken." She yawned."Well, I need some sleep and so do the rest of you, especially with the tournament a little more than a day away." She pouted."I still can't believe I can't participate. Damn Kano and Raiden for torturing me."

Takeda grimaced."Trust me, you're lucky you don't have to endure Bo' Rai Cho, Liu Kang, Kitana, and Kung Lao's training sessions. Those four don't hold back at all."

A grin touched Cassie's lips."I beat Kitana during Shinnok's invasion, remember?"

"And she's very impressed." Jin replied, grinning at the blonde's irritated expression."No really: she said you were a skilled kombatant and it was a pity you couldn't participate."

"I'll be sure to give her my thanks later." She replied."Night, guys. See you tomorrow."

"Night." They responded as they left.

Jacqui kissed Takeda good night and went to check on her parents while Jin went to see how Lao was doing. Takeda was soon left alone in the hallway. He closed his eyes and telepathically called out to his father.

'Dad?' He spoke hesitantly, hoping he wasn't disturbing him.

A total of ten seconds passed before he received a response.'Yes, son?'

Takeda sighed in relief.'Did I wake you?'

Kenshi chuckled.'No. I was just meditating. Care to join me?'

'Yeah. I need to talk to you.'

'Is everything alright? You sound upset.'

'I'll tell you once I get there.'

'Very well. The door is unlocked, so you don't have to knock.'

Takeda hurried to his father's quarters at a speed rivaling that of a cheetah. Thoughts of Kevin and Kano refused to stop replaying in his memory. How anyone could do that to their child was beyond him. Disgust burned in his veins at the mere thought.

His pace accelerated, so much so that he was panting by the time he reached his destination. After taking a minute to catch his breath, he palmed the door open and stepped inside. Seated in seiza position in the center of the room with his head bowed and Sento held in his hands was Kenshi. Sensing his son's presence, the swordsman raised his head and smiled. His smile faltered, however, when he realized how upset the younger telepath was.

Kenshi tilted his head."You wished to talk?"

Takeda opened his mouth to reply, yet no words came to mind. A tremble shot through him, causing his entire body to begin shaking. His breath quickened as he struggled fruitlessly to form a verbal answer to the question posed to him.

Kenshi frowned."Takeda-"

The swordsman never finished his sentence, because Takeda had rushed to his father and fell into his arms with a sob. He lost control of his emotions, not bothering to fight against the tears running down his face. Kenshi wrapped his arms around his son and slowly rocked him back and forth whilst whispering words of comfort into his ear.

'Son, what's wrong?' Kenshi asked telepathically, worried out of his mind.

'I can't...just read my mind. Please.'

'Okay.' Kenshi reluctantly did as asked and gasped at what he found. His grip tightened and he tried gently stroking Takeda's head to soothe him."Son...please don't cry. You shouldn't feel guilty. I don't deserve your forgiveness. You were right; I **did** abandon you. I deserved your anger, your beating, your fist to the face...all the negative feelings you've developed over the years...I deserve to have them taken out on me. You needn't feel an ounce of remorse."

"That's just it, dad." Takeda choked out, finally finding his voice."I **do** feel guilty. For years, I was so bitter and caught up in my abandonment issues that I never stopped to think about how **you** felt. Mom was as important to me as she was to you and her death struck you as hard as it did me. You were dealing with your own grief. My bitterness only made it worse. I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Kenshi pulled away and held Takeda by the shoulders."Listen to me, son." His voice cracked as tears soaked his blindfold."You have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn't have left you. I am to blame, not you."

"You left me with Master Hasashi to protect me."

"A decision which failed spectacularly. You lost your best friend and clan to the Blood Code and briefly lost Hanzo too. I could've gotten involved, could've done something to help, but I chose to hide like a coward because I couldn't handle the fear of how you would react to my return. There were times when I thought you were better off without me, when I thought I shouldn't come back, when I actually considered breaking my promise to come back and abandoning you for good. Your mother would've been furious if she were here."

Takeda gave a weak laugh."She would've slapped you...then hugged us both and assured us everything was gonna be alright."

"She was better than I deserved. **You** are better than I deserve. You claim you're no longer mad, but I detect an everlasting bit of resentment every time you say that. Whether we like it or not, that resentment, along with my guilt, won't entirely vanish."

"I think," Takeda whispered,", that we've both made a lot of mistakes, but nobody's perfect, right?"

A wan smile crossed Kenshi's lips."Right." He agreed softly, pulling Takeda into a hug which he didn't hesitate to return.

In that moment, Takeda could honestly say that he felt closer to his father than ever before.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _ChaotixController - Oh darling I'm sorry if it seems like I'm ignoring you. I promise I will eventually go into detail about Goro and Onaga but not yet. The Tarkatans, well maybe there still is or isn't hope for them. Not gonna say anything more than that because you should know how evil I am by now. The Centaurians will appear eventually but not for awhile. As for Kevin, while his main concern right now is recovering from his injuries and other trauma, there's nothing saying he can't...find a mentor in someone once gets better. It'll take a lot of time and character development, but his inner badass will shine eventually. I have to admit: when I first introduced him in Kano's chapter, I didn't expect to enjoy writing him so much. I have so many plans for him and his interactions with other characters in the future and I'm glad everyone likes him so much._

 _Guest - Dysfunctional doesn't even begin to cover how screwed up Raiden and his group are. I also very much enjoyed the quote you put. It perfectly describes the current situation on Raiden's side of the conflict._

 _BrutusSilentum - Thank you. ;)_

 _Jarjaxle - Honestly? Yes. She literally betrays everyone. She betrayed Liu Kang in her MK4 ending, betrayed Onaga in her MK:Deception ending, and betrayed Rain in her MKX ending. She calls herself a survivor and while she does seem to genuinely want a free Edenia in the current timeline, that's disgustingly ironic given how many times she betrayed the already free Edenia in the original timeline. I'm serious. She's THAT bad. Naturally, a character like Tanya who is known for her treachery would earn the hatred and rivalry of a character like Jade who is known for her loyalty. Jade is a character whose personality is centered on loyalty and trust whereas Tanya doesn't know the definition of those terms so yes, she is really that much of a traitor. Anyone who thinks it's a good idea to trust her, then you're either desperate, stupid, or both. And as you've all noticed by now, Raiden is all of those things. Don't tell him I said that though or he'll electrocute me XD_

 _Guest - Sorry for making you puke, darling, but thank you for respecting my decision as author nonetheless. As for the rest of your review..._

 _Mileena: Who told you this?!_

 _Me: You did. Just now. Lmao._

 _Next up: Chapter 57:D'Vorah_


	58. Chapter 57:D'Vorah

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"If she still felt guilt for her betrayals, well, that was her code. Angel had his own, and his code said that betrayals happened all the time, for small reasons and large."  
— Paolo Bacigalupi (The Water Knife)

 **Chapter 57:D'Vorah**

* * *

Unease.

It was not an emotion D'Vorah was accustomed to feeling. As of late, however, she felt this emotion more than any other. When Raiden freed her from prison and coerced her into serving him, she did not hesitate to agree. She had no desire to rot in a cell or face excruciating death/torture. She would also be lying if she denied being impressed by Raiden's power. A part of her considered betraying him as she originally intended to do with Shinnok by using larvae (her young) to absorb his power, but thought better of it after she and Tanya were electrocuted and warned not to betray him.

Shao Kahn and Shinnok were coldhearted madmen seeking power and glory, yet neither were as frightening or dangerous as Raiden. Not that she was foolish enough to tell him that, of course...

What did she want? This was the question she asked herself over and over again. Her wants changed constantly. Initially, she wanted to survive, so she swore loyalty to Shao Kahn and later Mileena, neither of whom treated her with respect or kindness. Kotal Kahn was different, but it was not until she witnessed Reptile putting his life at risk to save the Osh-Tekk that D'Vorah decided to defect from Mileena's side. Shao Kahn had her fear, Mileena had her contempt, and Kotal had her respect. She had been loyal to him for the first several years of his rule. Then the Blood Code happened, opening her eyes to how weak he was and how powerful Shinnok was. It was these events that stirred within D'Vorah a desire for power. Now that desire was gone, replaced once more by desperation to survive.

Raiden needn't worry; it was not as if she had anything to gain by defecting. The Cage family and her former comrades would kill her on sight. Shinnok was nothing more than a living head, not the powerful deity she had chosen over Kotal Kahn anymore. She wondered what Kotal thought of her now. There was no doubt in her mind that he blamed himself for not anticipating her betrayal. No one expected her to turn traitor; she was **that** good an actress. The notion was as flattering as it was bittersweet.

Two hours ago, Raiden had returned from Outworld with Mileena, Baraka, and the entire Tarkatan horde after declaring war on their foes. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with Raiden, who would inevitably win. Kotal, Fujin, and Liu Kang could do what they wished, but the war was already won. There was no escaping the truth. D'Vorah knew Kotal well enough to understand his stubbornness; he preferred to go down fighting rather than surrender or admit defeat. This was his fatal flaw.

Why was she worried about what Kotal thought or did? She was no longer his ally. He was an enemy, one that would fall in the near future. She did what was necessary to survive. Tanya liked to call herself a survivor. D'Vorah scoffed; the Edenian was merely a traitor lusting for power. D'Vorah herself was no stranger to power lust, but overall, she was a survivor. She endured the reigns of two tyrants and was currently serving another soon-to-be tyrant because she wanted to live. Power was the last thing on her mind at the moment. People said death was not the worst thing and even though they were right, D'Vorah had not come this far to die. Death would not claim her yet.

Although she did not enjoy working with Mileena, Baraka, and Tanya, what choice did she have? Raiden made it clear he would not tolerate any childish antics from his enforcers and she had no intention of further arousing his ire. The Thunder God's most frightening quality was his unpredictability; no one knew what to expect from him. He could be as calm, collected, and sarcastically polite as Shinnok one moment, then as furious and short-tempered as Shao Kahn the next. Shao Kahn and Shinnok were simple when compared to Raiden and that was what made him so dangerous to friend and foe alike.

Unable to find rest, she spent an hour pacing in her quarters. Her distress seemed to catch the attention of her children, for one slug crawled up her arm until it reached her shoulder and settled there. The slug nuzzled her slightly. She smiled as she patted it on the head. Her children were the only source of comfort she had left.

"This One requires some fresh air." She decided. Sitting on the balcony helped soothe her nerves. Pulling her hood over her head and taking the slug off her shoulder in favor of placing it on her arm so she could caress it, she headed for the balcony. The hall was blissfully empty save for some guards making their rounds. To her disappointment, the balcony was not unoccupied when she arrived; Nitara had beaten her there.

The vampiress had a vacant look in her eyes as she gazed at the night sky and clutched the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white. The sound of D'Vorah's footsteps alerted her to the Kytinn's presence. Nitara scowled, not bothering to hide her displeasure at the other woman's mere existence.

"This One did not expect to find you here." D'Vorah said as she slipped into a chair and crossed her legs.

Nitara pressed her lips together and returned her gaze to the sky."I needed some fresh air to clear my mind." She mumbled in reply.

D'Vorah nodded empathetically, shifting in her seat."This One is aware of your disdain-"

Nitara snorted."The definition of disdain is the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect. It is a synonym for contempt. Both disdain and contempt are often misunderstood as being synonymous with hatred. I hate you, Kytinn, but I also respect you. You are not like Tanya and Tasia, who use their looks to advantage in order to get what they want."

"Skarlet is guilty of that as well."

"I thought the same thing until I had a chance to speak with her. Let us just say she has evolved a bit over the years. She has come to see Shao Kahn for the madman he truly was. The same cannot be said for Mileena. She worships him like a fool, refusing to see how horrible he was. Then again, she is not that different from him. I remember how she insulted my people for, in her words, our blood-drinking savagery." She scoffed."A half-Tarkatan of all people had the nerve to call my people savage. I do not know what you think of Kotal Kahn, given your betrayal, but he is at least a fair ruler."

D'Vorah raised an eyebrow."If you have so much respect for Kotal Kahn, why do you serve Raiden?"

A humorless laugh escaped Nitara's lips."Do you honestly expect me to answer that?"

"This One will not tell Raiden, if that is what you are concerned about. We are as frightened of him as you are."

Sighing, Nitara brought a hand up to massage her forehead; it was obvious she was suffering from a headache."I was coerced into joining his side. That is all I am willing to say."

D'Vorah hummed."That is something This One can empathize with." She rolled her eyes at the vampiress's incredulous expression."You may doubt our word, but Raiden used fear and desperation on us as well. You desire to protect your people while This One prefers to remain alive. It was either serve Raiden or die. Death may be preferable for others, but not to This One."

"Your cleverness and cunning have ensured your survival for all these years. I respect you because I operate on a similar basis, though unlike you, I am not a sadist. I only care for the wellbeing of my people whereas you and Tanya care for yourselves alone."

D'Vorah sneered."Do not compare This One to that pompous Edenian. This One does not use simple things like beauty and seduction to achieve her goals. We use our brain."

"I use my brain as well." Nitara retorted."My beauty is a useful tool, but I am not a whore; therefore, I prefer to avoid using those kinds of techniques. You do not have a choice, given your less than attractive appearance. As I said yesterday, Reptile is more pleasant to look at than you."

"You would be surprised to know how many find This One attractive. Kano has made numerous lecherous remarks and refuses to stop referring to This One as 'my lovely' and 'love'."

"I believe he refers to every female by those nicknames. Well, everyone except for Mileena and Ferra. Those two are self-explanatory if you ask me. Sonya Blade in particular receives those nicknames more than anyone else. Their rivalry goes very far back from what I've heard."

"Yes." D'Vorah said with a nod."That it does."

Silence fell over the two women. Despite the tension between them, D'Vorah found herself feeling oddly comfortable around Nitara...as if she could relate to her in certain ways. They were both survivors who knew how to use what they had to survive and accomplish their goals. Mental strength and determination were rare things to find in anyone nowadays, yet Nitara had those things and D'Vorah respected her for that. They were not friends, but they **were** allies. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

"Shang Tsung has plans of his own." The Kytinn stated the obvious. Just because Raiden seemed to trust the sorcerer did not mean she did. D'Vorah suspected that he had his own selfish reasons for choosing to ally with the Thunder God and the last thing she wanted was for that to affect her.

Nitara was wise enough to see that too."You needn't be a genius to know that." She muttered."But why are you telling me this?"

D'Vorah stood up and continued to absently caress the slung on her arm as she moved to stand beside Nitara."Perhaps we can help one another."

Nitara was the very picture of distrust and skepticism."Why would either of us help each other?"

"You are concerned for the fate of your race. This One is concerned about her own fate."

"I still do not understand-"

"This One can find information on what Raiden plans to do with your people."

"I can do that myself."

"Raiden will expect you to try that, but he would not expect that from us. This will give us an advantage. This One will find what information she can and report it to you. You may do whatever you wish with said information."

"And what do you want from me in return for your aid?" Nitara asked carefully.

"A favor, which This One may request you to fulfill whenever she wishes."

"What kind of favor?"

"When the time comes, we shall know." D'Vorah replied then extended a hand to offer a handshake."Do we have a deal then, vampiress?" The slug was staring at Nitara as if silently asking the same question as its mother and doubling the pressure on Nitara to respond.

A long moment of tense, painful quietude passed before Nitara made eye contact, nodded, and accepted the offered handshake.

"Yes, Kytinn. We have a deal."

An alliance had been made.

* * *

 _Happy Halloween everyone! And happy 1 year anniversary of the day I first started writing this story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Again, if anybody's confused, I'm using the comic book version of D'Vorah's defection to Kotal from Mileena in which she explains that she turned against Mileena after witnessing Reptile taking a blow for Kotal from Mileena's sai so just pretend her flashback in the game happened a little differently._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _SwifteForeverAndAlways - I cried a little while I was writing it too._

 _Guest - I said it was unlikely for Noob Saibot to appear unless it was in flashbacks or something like that. Then again, I said the exact same thing about Mileena, Skarlet, Shang Tsung, etc and look at them now. Maybe Noob will appear...or maybe not. *grins evilly*_

 _Bro - To say that your suggestion is unlikely would be the biggest understatement of the year, my friend._

 _Guest - Yes I have seen the Armageddon opening and no I did not see Johnny shoving Sonya off the pyramid, but as MK9 reveals, she was torn in half while he was decapitated so she did not fall to her death. In all honestly, I think it was Blaze's influence on their minds that caused even the Forces of Light to go nuts. The Original Timeline was screwed up but let's be honest, the current timeline isn't much better._

 _TheChallengerfortheunnatural - Well, Bo' Rai Cho, Tanya, Tremor, and Triborg are all DLC characters and they've made appearances so I don't know why you'd ask me that. But if you're referring to Jason Vorhees, Leatherface, Predator, and Alien then no...just no._

 _Next up: Chapter 58:Mileena_


	59. Chapter 58:Mileena

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"His sister liked to think of herself as Lord Tywin with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted."  
— George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))

 **Chapter 58:Mileena**

* * *

Betrayal.

It was not something Mileena took kindly to. Sometimes she felt like a magnet that attracted traitors instead of metal. Kotal had betrayed her, Reptile had betrayed her, D'Vorah had betrayed her, Reiko had betrayed her, Skarlet had betrayed her, Rain had betrayed her, Ruby had betrayed her, Ermac had betrayed her...did the list never end? Of all her allies, Baraka and Tanya were the only ones she could trust.

Mileena hated how everyone spoke ill of Shao Kahn. How dare they insult the deceased emperor of Outworld? Did they know nothing of loyalty? Even Tanya, who was wise enough not to discuss the subject for Mileena's sake, shared the others' contempt. Only Baraka truly understood her vexation.

Ermac, back when he was still loyal to her, mentioned Shao Kahn's numerous fights with Kitana's father Jerrod, fights the late king of Edenia always won. Jerrod was to blame for Ermac's defection to Kotal Kahn's side. Ermac didn't care for his creator any longer. Nor did Skarlet. Both of her 'siblings' felt no loyalty to their 'father'; Ermac served Kotal while Skarlet's allegiance lay with Daegon. Their treachery enraged Mileena.

 _You are too impetuous to lead._

 _I'm as much Shao Kahn's 'daughter' as you are, half-breed._

How dare they say those things?! Ermac claimed Outworld needed proven leadership, leaving no question as to whom he was referring to. Skarlet had no right to claim herself an equal to Mileena. She was not Shao Kahn's daughter. Neither was Kitana. Mileena was his true daughter, heir, and ruler of Outworld. The nerve of those traitors! Shao Kahn would have been furious at the disloyalty and ungratefulness of his enforcers. He'd made them into what they were today, drove them up from nothing, yet they repaid him by betraying his daughter? Rage burned within her, filling the clone with an overwhelming desire to rip out the throats of those treacherous pieces of filth, starting with Kotal.

Glancing at Tanya, who sat across from her on the windowsill whilst examining her Kobu Jutsu, Mileena felt her rage lessen a bit. Tanya may be a traitor to her fellow Edenians, but not to her. The Edenians made their hatred for Mileena no secret. Perhaps taunting them about their beloved princess wasn't the best idea, but she lacked the will to care about their inferior feelings or opinions. Removing her mask and reminding them constantly that she was not Kitana and never would be was an enjoyable pastime. She especially enjoyed herself whilst taunting Rain and Ruby, the former's romantic feelings for Kitana and the latter's friendship with the princess making them easy targets. She wanted to ask Raiden to let her kill them, but he'd already given Daegon and Skarlet his blessing to end the two Edenians' lives and she wasn't in the mood to be electrocuted for insubordination.

Kotal Kahn, however, was up for debate, as Raiden understood both Mileena and Goro's reasons for wishing to kill the Osh-Tekk and declared the matter would be settled at the tournament. Mileena's sole comfort was that she at least had Kitana to kill. No one would steal that right from her. She couldn't wait to plunge her sai into Kitana's heart while forcing Liu Kang, Sindel, Jade, Ruby, and Rain to watch their precious princess die then laugh in their faces before killing them too.

Unable to sit still anymore, Mileena decided to check on Baraka. Tanya offered to accompany her, but she declined, knowing the male Tarkatan would not be happy to see Tanya after their less than friendly interactions earlier today. On her way to Baraka's quarters, she was so distracted that she literally bumped into another person who was equally distracted.

"Watch where you are going!" Mileena hissed, rubbing her temples without looking at the other person.

"I was prepared to tell you the same thing." The voice was cold and irritated, more so than Mileena's. It was also familiar. Mileena's eyes widened in recognition of Skarlet's voice. Sure enough, the bloodthirsty kunoichi was looming over the half-breed, eyes narrowed in displeasure at running into her fellow Flesh Pits creation. The feeling was completely mutual.

"Not warming Daegon's bed tonight?" Mileena asked in a sickly sweet tone of voice.

Skarlet's eyebrows rose."I see Tanya isn't warming **yours** tonight. Or is it Baraka's turn?"

"Shut up!" Mileena snarled.

Skarlet scowled beneath her mask."I do not take orders from you, half-breed."

"That's right. You take orders from Daegon. Do you enjoy being his little pleasure slave?"

"I'm not a slave." The redhead replied, surprisingly calm."Daegon doesn't chain me up and treat me like an animal. If anything, **you're** the animal who should have been chained up and denied free will."

"Shut up!"

"Is that the only phrase you know? I pity Rain and Ruby; they must have the patience of saints to endure your insanity and childishness for as long as they did."

Mileena lunged at Skarlet, ready to bite the other construct's head off. Skarlet quickly turned into a pool of blood and moved to the side as Mileena landed face first on the floor with a yelp. As she sat up, Skarlet moved further away and transformed into her normal form. Skarlet clasped her hands behind her back and leaned against the wall, unaffected by the murderous glare Mileena shot her.

"I do not fancy the idea of being electrocuted again." Skarlet said."Therefore, I will not fight you. It is taking all of my willpower not to slash your throat and castrate Reiko." She directed her eyes to the ceiling as if she were pained."You were right; he **did** betray me. I awoke shortly after you destroyed my legs and called out to him for help. He laughed in my face, calling me a fool for believing he would share his power with me. He left me screaming promises of revenge on the beach. I knew none of you would be pleased to see me alive, so I hid myself until the Red Dragon Clan arrived on Shang Tsung's Island to investigate the aftermath of Havik's failure a few days later and found me near death. Daegon offered to restore my legs; all I had to do in return was swear loyalty to him." She lightly kicked her foot up."As you can see, I accepted his offer."

At this point, Mileena's anger had been replaced by curiosity."How...?"

"Do some research on Onaga and you may be able to figure it out." The red-clad female answered. Her eyes narrowed."Daegon saved my life. I owe him for that. That is why I serve him, so I will give you a warning which you may pass on to your retinue." She crouched down to make eye contact with the ex-empress and her tone became threatening."Stay. Away. From. Him."

"You were never this loyal to Shao Kahn." Mileena noted, torn between being impressed or irate by Skarlet's new attitude.

"To hell with Shao Kahn." Skarlet hissed as she stood. Her tone went from threatening to bitter."You were always his favorite, his **true** daughter while I was merely a slave to be released in times of desperation. When Kitana defected to Raiden's side, I hoped Shao Kahn would finally grant me the attention I desperately sought. Instead, he turned all his attention and affection to **you**." She scoffed."You, a simple clone who did not know him for as long as I did, did not serve him for as many years as I did, did not kill for him as much as I did, received everything **I** wanted and deserved. You wondered why I chose to be your enemy; that is why. Reiko took advantage of my emotions to recruit and use me as a pawn. I was foolish to trust him, just as you were foolish to trust him, Rain, and Tanya."

Finished with her speech, Skarlet turned her back to the half-breed and marched away from her. Mileena got up and watched her leave, trying to ignore the pang of pity she felt for Skarlet. She shook her head, sighed, and left in the direction opposite Skarlet had taken off.

Neither woman realized that a certain sorcerer had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation.

* * *

 _I've made it no secret that I cannot stand reboot Mileena. All my affection for this character vanished when the reboot began. In my opinion (make of it what you will), she went from being a cold, calculating, and genuinely or at least potentially dangerous villain to an immature child that you just wanna smack upside the head. If I had a dollar for every time she called someone a filthy traitorous beast. (*rolls eyes* as if they were ever loyal to her to begin with), I'd be a very rich young woman._ _Naturally, this character has a lot of character development to do before I start liking her again. Then again, what character doesn't?_

 _Another thing: I'm acting as a beta reader for Late Owl Rambles. She's writing a story called Paved with Sorrow with a very unique and interesting take on all the characters. It's really good and in desperate need of reviews so please check it out. I guarantee you'll love it as much as you love this story._

 _Factor - Not for a little while but I do have some interesting interactions planned for them in the future. I adore Sareena so I assure you that she and Ashrah have not been forgotten._

 _Killer9000 - Lol. I can see that happening. XD_

 _BrutusSilentium - They really don't. ;)_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 59:Viviana_


	60. Chapter 59:Viviana

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"When you lose your parents as a child, you are indoctrinated into a club, you're taken into life's severest confidence. You are undeceived."  
— Hilary Thayer Hamann (Anthropology of an American Girl)

 **Chapter 59:Viviana**

* * *

An orphan.

That was what she was. At this time last night, her parents were executed right in front of her. The same soldiers who'd decapitated them were assigned as guards to her cell. Hotaru promised she would see her parents again. She wasn't stupid; the only way she would reunite with her parents was through death. If Dairou hadn't come, she'd be dead.

Most children weren't aware of how severe the war between the Seidan army and Resistance truly was. Viviana was not most children. It was hard to be oblivious to the severity of war when one's parents were spies for the rebels. Wyleen and Holland both admitted it was dangerous to act as moles for Darrius and regretted betraying Hotaru, but they couldn't endure the oppression and wanted to ensure a better future for their daughter. Viviana admired their bravery and dreamed of the freedom they would help bring by allying with Darrius.

Hotaru may have been a friend to her parents, but she didn't like him. His constant blank expression made her uncomfortable and what friend ordered the deaths of two people whose daughter's birth he'd been present at?

When she met Darrius, she wasn't sure what to think. The stories she'd heard about the Resistance leader spoke of a hero who would one day free Seido from its oppressive regime. She expected to see a mighty warrior with the strength of ten men and wisdom do the Elder Gods. Instead, she was someone equally mysterious as Hotaru whose blank expression rarely faltered and even when it did, an enigmatic smile/smirk crossed his features. It wasn't frightening, just odd. He spoke with more affableness than Hotaru, yet was no less difficult to read.

Dairou fascinated her above all. He was a mercenary who'd saved her because Darrius paid him to. Well, he actually came to save her and her parents, but they were dead before he arrived. Viviana found his terse attitude interesting. He mostly wore a blank expression, though it paled in comparison to Hotaru and Darrius's. He was crotchety and blunt, the latter of which she appreciated. There were so many liars in the world that finding a honest person was a welcome relief. She was happy to know he was staying with the Resistance for the time being to stop Hotaru and had been trying to find a way to talk to him. Mercenary or not, she felt like she could trust him.

The other children weren't interesting to interact with. Although half were orphans, they still had some family to care for them whereas she had no one. Her parents were the only family she had. With them gone, she needed a new caretaker. The woman whose care she'd been put under was old, rude, and unsympathetic to the child's grief, telling her to grow up and accept that there was nothing that could be done to change the past. Viviana disliked the woman so much that she refused to remember her name and went out of her way to vex her new guardian. So it was with determination that Viviana pretended to be asleep until the woman exited their shared tent and snuck out to find Dairou.

As soon as she was outside, Viviana freed her chestnut hair from the painfully tight bun the woman had tied it into under the notion that a girl's hair should never be loose or down and sighed in relief as her hair was finally allowed to breathe. She hate putting her hair up, preferring to keep it in a loose ponytail or completely down, which her mother hadn't minded so long as she brushed it.

Ducking into the shadows, Viviana moved through the camp until she heard footsteps and voices nearby. She moved further back into the shadows, gasping when she recognized the voices of Darrius, Dairou, Kotal Kahn, and the old woman. Soon enough, they appeared within her view, but didn't see her as she moved further into the shadows. Viviana noticed that they weren't alone; there was a girl around her age standing next to Kotal, though she didn't participate in the conversation.

"That child is a brat!" The old woman hissed through clenched teeth."She weeps and whines like an infant! Wyleen and Holland were always pigheaded, but she is far worse than both of them combined! She should have died alongside them!"

Viviana covered her mouth to muffle a gasp. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the old woman's cruel words. How dare she insult her parents?! What did she know of loss and grief?! What right did she have to speak in such a way?!"

Apparently, Dairou agreed, because he stepped toward the woman with a scowl."That child witnessed the execution of her parents under the orders of a family friend. Your lack of sympathy does not lessen her pain."

"Don't you dare lecture me, mercenary!" Scorn filled her tone as she uttered the word 'mercenary'."And besides, crying will change nothing. They are dead and there is not a single thing that can be done to undo that. I would have thought you of all people would know that given your-"

Dairou snarled."I swear by the Elder Gods, if you even **think** of mentioning my family-"

"That's enough." Darrius spoke up. He placed a hand on Dairou's shoulder which the mercenary shrugged off. Sighing, Darrius turned to the woman."While you are correct that crying over the past is useless, keep in mind this is a fresh loss for Viviana. Wyleen and Holland were valuable allies and their sacrifices will not be forgotten or disgraced."

Kotal nodded."Darrius is correct. You are too harsh on the girl. Perhaps you are not fit to care for her." As he spoke, the child beside him leaned against his leg. He unconsciously patted her on the head the same way a father would console his daughter.

The four adults began to argue, the old woman in particular growing outraged at Kotal and Dairou for having the nerve to judge her while Darrius exasperatedly tried to calm everyone down. Viviana didn't realized how close she'd gotten to the group until the girl at Kotal's side widened her eyes and started tugging the emperor's wrist to get his attention.

"What is it, Ferra?" Kotal asked. Rather than respond verbally, Ferra dashed straight toward Viviana. The orphan attempted to flee, but Ferra was too fast; she caught Viviana's arm in a surprisingly tight, though not painful, grip and dragged her into the adults' view.

"Ferra found Vivi!" She declared proudly. Viviana looked down to hide her rapidly flushing face. Five minutes into her plan and already she'd been caught. So much for stealth...

Kotal smiled."That you did." Ferra beamed. Darrius and Dairou's eyebrows rose. The old woman scowled and grabbed Viviana's other arm in such an iron tight grip that she whimpered in pain. Immediately, Ferra shoved the woman away and forced Viviana to stand behind her, acting a shield for the other girl.

Ferra stamped her foot."You no hurt Vivi!" She pointed at the woman."Or me tell Torr to crush you!" Furious, the woman raised a hand to slap Ferra, only for Kotal to catch her wrist and give her a glare so fierce it brought new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

"Leave." Darrius ordered. His tone brooked no argument. The woman obeyed, though not before sending Viviana one last glower. Viviana resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at her former caretaker. Kotal pulled Ferra away from Viviana and gave the Seidan child a kind smile.

"Now then." Darrius drawled, kneeling down and removing his sunglasses to make better eye contact with Viviana."What are we going to do with you?" That enigmatic smile of his had returned.

"Is there no one else who can care for her besides that woman?" Dairou asked brusquely.

Darrius's smile faltered."Unfortunately no." He shook his head and sighed. Then he smiled again."Unless-"

"No." Dairou said as if reading the rebel's mind."It is not as if she would even want-"

"Want what?" Viviana demanded.

"Be silent while the adults are speaking, child." Despite his irritated visage, Dairou's tone conveyed no ire."Darrius, I cannot-"

"Cannot or will not?" Darrius inquired, tilting his head."Tell me something, Dairou; are you reluctant to do this because you don't think a mercenary will make a suitable guardian or because she reminds you of..." He trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

Clenching his fists, Dairou put his blank expression back on."Both." His voice was barely above a whisper."And as I said, it is unlikely she will even want this."

Viviana's eyes widened in realization."Darrius." The Resistance leader turned to her."Are you asking Dairou to become my guardian?"

"Smart girl." Darrius chuckled, tapping her on the nose. She slapped his hand away with a giggle."Do you want Dairou to become your guardian?"

Viviana bit her lip."Does Dairou want to become my guardian?"

"I..." The mercenary was at a loss for words. He avoided eye contact with the girl in favor of sending Darrius a desperate look."Darrius, I'm not fit to take care of a child. Not after what happened to..." The slightest hint of sadness touched his tone before his blank visage returned.

"What happened to her and to the rest of them wasn't your fault." There was no softness or sympathy in Darrius's tone, only fact."Besides, it's only temporary. Just look after her until this conflict has been resolved and I'll find a good home for her afterwards. Doesn't it also help that she's fond of you?"

"I cannot imagine why." Dairou said dryly.

"Because you saved me." Viviana spoke up. All heads turned to her as she approached Dairou and smiled up at him. Dairou knelt down to her eye level.

"I was merely fulfilling a contract." He stated simply."Which involved saving you **and** your parents. I failed to accomplish that part of the job."

Viviana frowned."Hotaru's fault, not yours." She crossed her arms, the very picture of stubbornness.

Dairou chucked her under the chin."Stubborn child. Almost as much so as..." His eyes lowered as the memory of the person Viviana reminded him of seemed to sadden him.

Finally, Dairou gave in with a sigh."Alright, Darrius." He said as he stood."You win. I'll become Viviana's new, albeit **temporary** , guardian."

Viviana and Darrius didn't bother to hide their grins.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest - Kitana and Liu Kang are my two favorite characters and it really saddens me to see how ruined they've become. I mean seriously why does Kung Lao's ending imply there's still hope for him yet theirs don't? I can only hope they don't become villains in the next game. But_ _I wouldn't put it past Ed Boon to do that and I know he's gonna have a lot of pissed off fans if he does. Myself included._

 _Next up: Chapter 60:Shujinko (here come the complaints from haters *rolls eyes*)_


	61. Chapter 60:Shujinko

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"No, that is the great fallacy: the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful."  
— Ernest Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms)

 **Chapter 60:Shujinko**

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With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.

It was a phrase Shujinko had heard numerous times, one that applied perfectly to himself. Sometimes it felt as if only yesterday he'd been a naive young man eager to become a hero. That was what led to him meeting Damashi, an agent of the Elder Gods sent to find a mortal with the courage and potential strength to undertake a quest for them. Shujinko did not hesitate to accept. Damashi ordered him to find the six Kamidogu of Earthrealm, Netherrealm, Chaosrealm, Outworld, Orderrealm, and Edenia. To aid in the quest, Damashi gave him the power to observe then wield the kombat abilities of other warriors he met. Little did he know, Damashi was not who he claimed to be...

In Chaosrealm, he met Havik for the first time and aided in repelling an invasion by the Seidans to control the realm's water stores. Later, he went to Outworld, where he fought the Tarkatan horde, which was preparing to slaughter an entire city whose prefect had defied Shao Kahn. He traveled to Seido to enlist Hotaru's aid after assisting him in stopping a riot caused by the Resistance leader Darrius. Although they were successful in saving the city, the king's refusal to honor his promise to grant Seido control of his kingdom in exchange for their help caused Hotaru to strip him of his power and become the new ruler in his own realm's name. A harsh decision when keeping in mind that the bargain was made in desperation, but Shujinko knew better than to cross Hotaru. Even if they hadn't known each other too well back then, he wasn't eager to get on his bad side.

Shujinko always knew Hotaru to be stern to say the least, but to think him capable of such cruelty flabbergasted him. How did burning down a village filled with slumbering innocents contribute to the cause of order? How did forcing a child whose birth he'd been present at to watch her parents' execution contribute to order? Hotaru had been a friend to him once, but their friendship ended when the Seidan imprisoned him for breaking a curfew he didn't even know existed. For years, Shujinko rotted in a cell whilst awaiting his trial until Damashi hired Dairou to free him. Hotaru didn't take kindly to this; the fight that occurred between the two men was not a happy memory for Shujinko, yet what choice did he have? He was not going to allow himself to be thrown back into a cell to rot for the rest of his life.

If not for Raiden's intervention, Shujinko would have completed the quest. The Thunder God had confronted him, explaining his visions and warning him that Damashi was in fact the Dragon King Onaga's essence in disguise. Onaga required the Kamidogu and Shujinko was his pawn to getting them. Damashi (if he should even call him that anymore) denied the accusation, but his words fell on deaf ears and soon he realized there was no swaying Shujinko into believing him. He vanished, declaring that this would not be their last meeting. That was ten years ago and there had been no sign of the Dragon King's essence ever since.

Determined to redeem himself for nearly endangering the realms, Shujinko joined the Kang Temple and became a master within its walls. Raiden entrusted him with the protection of the Kamidogu dagger of Chaosrealm. Years later, Havik paid him a visit. It was not difficult for Shujinko to recognize the cleric of chaos who'd obviously come for his realm's dagger. He almost succeeded in defeating the Chaosrealmer, but Havik used dirty tricks to win their battle and proceeded to use the dagger to possess every monk in the temple, including Shujinko.

The other brainwashed warriors had no control over their actions nor did they know what they were doing. This was not the case with Shujinko; while under Havik's control, he **had** been aware of his actions, yet lacked control over them. The words coming out of his mouth were not what he wanted to say. As he restrained Takeda, his mind screamed for him to release the boy, but his body did not obey. He knew what he was doing and could do nothing to resist Havik's orders. The first thing he did upon being freed from the dagger's corruption was fall to his knees and weep. Twice an unwitting pawn he'd been; first through deception by Onaga then through brainwashing by Havik.

Was this his destiny? To be taken advantage of and forced into serving evil when all he wanted was to work for the greater good? Did the Elder Gods mock him? Or was he simply that pathetic? Perhaps it was best those questions remained unanswered. The less he thought about those unwanted answers, the better.

Li Mei was seated on the floor of the training room, staring out the window into the night sky. Her face was void of emotion, as if she lacked the energy to shed any more tears. Shujinko had tried his best to console her, but it was like talking to a wall. All she did was mutter promises of vengeance against Hotaru and ask him to leave her alone. As much as it pained Shujinko to admit it, nothing could be done to help Li Mei. She needed to cope with the loss on her own if she was to recover. For now, it was best that she be given her space.

"I did not think Hotaru would be capable of such a thing." Dairou remarked from where he sat on a bench, examining his Autumn Dao while a slumbering Viviana lay curled up beside him, a blanket covering her form. The mercenary would turn his head in the child's direction every few minutes to smile wanly or pat her on the head.

Shujinko tore his gaze from his twin blades which he'd also been examining to give a nod of agreement."He was surprisingly affable despite his...devotion to order."

Dairou snorted."'Devotion' is putting it mildly. It is an obsession, one that slowly eats away at him, though he refuses to admit it. No wonder he and Raiden get along so well."

Shujinko lowered his eyes as Dairou continued.

"I remember when the Resistance originally formed a few years after Hotaru became leader of the Seidan guard, he thought it would be a simple rebellion to be crushed within days or weeks at most like the others, but when months passed and the riots continued, it became clear that Darrius was different from the other rebels. Darrius isn't as strict or collected as Hotaru, nor is he as chaotic as Havik...he is like a combination of both, yet he retains his own unique qualities. That is what makes him dangerous, and why Hotaru came to view him as a worthy opponent rather than a rival as he viewed Havik. A year passed before they finally met. I was there. I watched Darrius remove his sunglasses and make eye contact with Hotaru for the first time. At first, both of them were silent, retaining their signature blank expressions. Then, out of nowhere, Darrius gave that enigmatic smile of his and after a minute, Hotaru returned the smile. From that day on, Hotaru changed; his obsession with order turned into an obsession with putting the Resistance, specifically Darrius, down. Failure was no longer tolerated. All our focus was put into stopping riots caused by the rebels and searching for leads on Darrius. I watched my friend fade from being an honorable warrior devoted to protecting our realm to transforming into a dictator whose sole purpose for living was destroying anyone who disagreed with him, yet for all the questionable things he had done, none of them came close to what was done to Li Mei's people."

"He is no longer the man we knew." Shujinko said with a sigh."He is a villain, one who cannot escape justice for his crimes, nor atone for them. People tend to look down on me for my unwitting role in Onaga's plan and Havik's Blood Code, yet they fall silent when Hotaru is mentioned."

"The same with me." Dairou said."Mercenaries have no honor, they say. I will not deny that I've performed both noble and ignoble assignments for the sake of money, but I have more honor than the Seidan guard leader and Resistance leader combined." He stole a glance at Viviana."And I don't condone the killing of children. Not after what happened to my..." He trailed off, sighing."I wish I could forget them, especially **her**."

Sheathing his blades, Shujinko approached Dairou and laid a hand on his shoulder."They would not want you to linger in your guilt or grief."

"They would be disgusted if they saw me." Dairou stated icily."And rightfully so; not only did I fail to save them, I disgraced their memory by murdering an innocent man."

"Their deaths, as well as that man's, were not your fault. You were away on a mission. Whoever murdered your family knew that. He or she is a coward; they waited until you were not home to protect them and they had all fallen asleep before slaughtering them."

"Their throats were slashed." Dairou said, closing his eyes."The assassin didn't care about their lives. My parents were ill and lived with me so I could take care of them. My wife and daughter were no less helpless. The only comfort I can find is that they didn't suffer when they died. The same cannot be said for the man I murdered. I stabbed him many times, beat him mercilessly with my fists until his face was practically unrecognizable, and finished him off by slashing his throat like I thought he'd slashed my family's throats. Imagine my shock when I discovered I'd killed an innocent man and that the true murderer was likely the one who sent me the false tip."

Shujinko squeezed Dairou's shoulder, knowing words were pointless. Dairou was as much a broken soul as Li Mei. However, where Li Mei openly displayed her grief, Dairou hid his grief behind cynicism and rarely let his honorable side show. Most people might give up hope for broken souls like theirs. Shujinko was not most people. Most people didn't get manipulated by the dead, most people didn't lose everything and everyone they loved in the blink of an eye, most people didn't become mercenaries, most people didn't find themselves engaged in a war against beings from another world as well as their own world. None of them were most people...

"She would have been good friends with Brielle." Dairou whispered. He was looking at Viviana again, wistfulness and sorrow mixing into one as he spoke."She had the same sassy and inquisitive nature as her. They would've gotten along very well."

Shujinko smiled."You've grown fond of her." It wasn't a question.

Dairou shrugged."Perhaps a bit. I see a lot of my daughter in her." His smile vanished."I have to constantly remind myself that she isn't my daughter and she never will be."

"I know how that feels." All heads turned to see Hanzo standing in the doorway. Even though Dairou and Li Mei had little to no idea what he was talking about, Shujinko did.

"I lost my family and was tricked into killing an innocent man like you were, Dairou." The former spectre said then turned to Li Mei."I lost my clan like you lost your entire village, Li Mei. I lost my clan **twice** , actually. I eventually ended the life of the man responsible for my pain, yet it brought me no satisfaction. I am still bitter, still heartbroken, still a broken shell of my former self..." He wiped away the single tear that ran down his cheek."Takeda saved me from myself. For all that I've lost, I can look at that boy and know I have done something right." He gestured to Viviana."She can do the same for you, Dairou. If you let her. Takeda is not and never will be my Jubei just like Viviana is not and never will be your Brielle, but they are special in their own way. Takeda is as much a son to me as Jubei and if you allow Viviana to grow closer to you, she can become as much a daughter to you as Brielle."

Li Mei and Dairou looked at Hanzo, then at each other. They seemed to be genuinely thinking about what he said, but opted to remain silent. Li Mei declared she was going to bed and left. Dairou lifted Viviana into his arms, careful not to wake her as she mumbled sleepily, and followed Li Mei out.

"Do you think my words have fallen on deaf ears?" Hanzo asked once they were alone.

"That depends on whom you are referring to." Shujinko said."With Li Mei, it is highly likely. With Dairou, there is a glimmer of hope, albeit a small one. Whether they ultimately choose to follow your advice or not is up to them."

Hanzo nodded. Suddenly, he laughed, the sound a mix of soft and bitter."Fate is a cruel thing, is it not? Fate demanded our loved ones die and that a benevolent, kind, noble deity devoted to protecting Earthrealm turn into a bloodthirsty madman lusting for power and working alongside other misguided and evil beings. I saw the look in Nitara's eyes when she told Fujin she was doing what she must to protect her race and I spoke with Taven after he and Delia failed to convince Daegon to switch sides. I can tell Raiden is manipulating them like he manipulated me. They are his pawns as I was."

"Do you believe there is hope for them?" Shujinko asked.

" **I** was able to see Raiden for the manipulative monster he is. All they need to do is open their eyes in order to see him for his true self too. Only time will tell if there is truly hope for them. I would like to believe that there is."

"Time." Shujinko murmured."It is something we all want, need, and waste. It is a blessing and a curse, for mortals and immortals."

"Is it a gift." Hanzo said."One we must learn how to properly use in this cruel, beautiful world that we live in."

"Cruel and beautiful." Shujinko whispered."Yes. That describes our world perfectly."

Hanzo gave a rueful smile."And we would not have it any other way."

"No. I suppose not."

* * *

 _What I basically did when writing Shujinko's past was combine some elements of his story in the old timeline with elements in the new one. I also added a few of my own ideas for him and changed a few things to fit with the canon. Hopefully, no one was confused. I originally intended for this to be a somewhat funny chapter, but changed my mind and decided to make it a somber one instead, which I'm glad I did. I really like how this turned out._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Determined Savior - I'm a female. And I'm very glad to see I'm not the only one who likes this character. The only thing I ever found remotely annoying about him was his move set, although you have to admit it does have its advantages. :)_

 _Francisco Devilman Warrior - *Shrugs mischievously*_

 _Next up: Chapter 61:Reiko_


	62. Chapter 61:Reiko

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Valuing knowledge above all else results in a lust for power, and that leads men into dark and empty places." — Veronica Roth

 **Chapter 61:Reiko**

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"Why are we here?"

The question was spoken in an irritated tone of voice by the dark-skinned Outworlder as they trekked through Hell itself. Raiden had roused everyone at two in the morning and announced they were going to the Netherrealm. When asked why, the deity simply smiled. Shang Tsung did the same. Hotaru offered no response, his face maintaining its blank expression as he walked beside Raiden.

Reiko could see he wasn't the only one disgruntled. The Black Dragons were grumbling whilst Nitara repeatedly exchanged glances with D'Vorah. Havik, however, didn't mind; the Chaosrealmer obviously enjoyed the instability of this place if the grin on his face was any indication. Without a proper leader to maintain order since Liu Kang and Kitana's departure, things had gone to hell (no pun intended). Screams pierced the air as demons, ghouls, and Oni alike fought for control or perhaps just for the sake of fighting due to their minuscule to nonexistent intellects.

The ex-revenants were unlikely to return, leaving the Netherrealm vulnerable for any conquerer. As if anyone would be interested in conquering this wasteland, that is. Not even Shao Kahn expressed interest in merging Outworld with Netherrealm, claiming it was unworthy of such an honor in Quan Chi's presence. Reiko agreed; just being here filled him with disgust and contempt.

"Patience." Raiden said, not bothering to look at whom he was speaking to. A smile was doubtless on his face."I will explain once we arrive."

"Arrive where?" Reiko demanded.

"You will see when we get there."

Clenching his jaw, Reiko fought not to snap at the Thunder God. Loath as he was to admit it, he currently answered to Raiden. With Shao Kahn, he had the honor of being the emperor's right-hand man whilst Kotal served as Shao Kahn's left-hand man. Hotaru and Shang Tsung were Raiden's right and left hand men, respectively. In this case, Reiko was merely a lieutenant alongside the others. Even though he was a valuable ally, his position wasn't as high as it used to be, and that vexed him.

He'd have to be blind not to notice Skarlet and Mileena glowering at him. Mileena walked between Tanya and Baraka, who were trying to converse with her as a distraction. Not too far behind Daegon, Skarlet stayed close to Mavado as the two whispered concernedly about the demigod. Goro showed no sign of caring for Daegon, if his bored visage could be considered evidence. Two genuinely concerned lieutenants and one indifferent lieutenant. Daegon certainly had interesting luck when it came to his lackeys.

A smirk found its way onto Reiko's face as he quickened his pace so he could walk right next to Daegon. Mavado grasped Skarlet's arm to prevent her from intervening, said something into her ear, received a nod in reply, and pulled her far enough for them to continue their conversation while keeping a close eye on the Outworlder. Daegon brusquely asked what Reiko wanted.

"How is she?" Daegon's eyebrows rose at the question. When it became clear he was too perplexed to respond, Reiko elaborated,"How good is she in bed?" There was no need to clarify whom he was referring to."She was rather...amateurish when she was with me. I wonder if she's improved at all with you."

Daegon clenched his jaw."That is none of your concern." He said through gritted teeth.

Undaunted, Reiko went on."She didn't have experience back then, and thus lacked the skill to please me in the bedroom, yet her skills as a warrior made her a useful tool nonetheless." He chuckled."She was desperate for the power and respect she'd been denied by Shao Kahn and lost to Mileena. It was that desperation that led to her being recruited by me. Such a lovely little pawn she was. She truly thought I planned to share my power with her. For all her lovelines and prowess in kombat, in the end she was nothing more than a naive whore-"

Reiko never got to finish his sentence, because Daegon's fist connected with his face. He already had a busted lip courtesy of Skarlet; now he had a second one from Daegon. In addition to the yelp he emitted, the comicalness of the scene increased when Reiko was sent flying into Raiden and collided with the deity's back.

"What the-" Hotaru cut himself off as he hurried to help Raiden up. Grabbing Reiko's arm, Tremor yanked him to his feet with such strength and rapidness that the general nearly fell. To say Raiden was irate did not begin to cover it. Before Reiko could react, he took hold of his collar and pulled him closer until their faces were inches apart. His belligerent, red eyes glared at the other male with a fury rivaling Shao Kahn's. Yet when he spoke, his voice betrayed no anger, only annoyance.

"Watch where you are going." He said then threw him to the ground. Reiko managed to land on one knee and stand up as Raiden brushed past him. Havik, who'd been watching in the obvious hope that something would happen, frowned. Kano and Mileena seemed to share the cleric's disappointment. Mavado pulled Skarlet along, though she made sure to throw Reiko a murderous glower. Everyone except for Daegon copied Raiden's actions. The Red Dragon leader waited for their allies to be out of earshot before forming a fireball in his hand and tossing it so it barely missed Reiko's feet by inches, causing him to jump.

Upon lifting his head, he found himself face-to-face with Daegon, although in contrast to the furious expression of Raiden, Daegon's calm countenance matched his voice."If you ever insult one of my lieutenants again, I will do to you what I did to Hsu Hao when he made the mistake of disobeying my code."

Reiko smirked, unperturbed by the threat."Ah yes. Your Red Dragon soldiers often spoke of their experiences in your service. Mavado himself was the one to tell me. Hsu Hao and the then unknown spy Kenshi had been sent to assassinate a target hiding in a village. Their orders were to kill the target quickly and quietly then return to headquarters. Instead, Hsu Hao left the mission objective to Kenshi and brutally raped and murdered a female villager. Kenshi reported this to you and-"

"I burned Hsu Hao in a place where no man wishes to be burned." Not a bit of distress touched the demigod's tone; he spoke calmly and matter-of-factly."Weeks later, Kenshi was discovered a traitor and Hsu Hao was killed by Scorpion whilst attacking him and his son. Unless you desire to suffer the same fate, I suggest you heed my warning." That being said, he turned and quickened his pace to catch up with their fellow enforcers. A moment later, Reiko followed. If Raiden noticed the two men's sluggishness, he didn't convey his knowledge.

For half-an-hour, they continued their trek through the Netherrealm. Silence settled over the group for the remainder of their journey. It wasn't hard to recognize their destination upon arrival: the palace. Once upon a time, Liu Kang and Kitana had resided here during their brief reign as rulers of this realm. Shang Tsung clasped his hands behind his back as two hideous creatures ran to greet them. And when Reiko said hideous, he meant it.

They were Oni. One was skinless, giving them an unpleasant view of his rotting, meaty body. His face was covered by a green mask and in place of his right arm was an Iron Club. His companion was no less unpleasant to look at; a bulky, blue creature with three glowing yellow eyes and a stone sphere attached to his arm via chains.

"Suddenly, I feel incredibly guilty for insulting your appearance, D'Vorah." Nitara said to the Kytinn.

D'Vorah grimaced."This One accepts your apology and agrees with you."

Ugly as the duo was, they were not without manners, for they bowed to Shang Tsung in greeting. The sorcerer bowed back.

"Drahmin, Moloch." He said, placing a hand on Dramhin's shoulder."My sincere apologies for the late arrival. We had other things to attend to."

Drahmin bounced on the balls of his feet. Whether he was happy or nervous was difficult to figure out. Havik crossed his arms and glared at the two Oni, both of whom were content to ignore him.

"The emperor has eagerly been awaiting your arrival." Drahmin said to Shang Tsung."His grip on the throne is slipping every minute as everyone is afraid that Liu Kang will return to reclaim his throne."

"Liu Kang, Kitana, and their fellow revenants have been freed from Quan Chi's spell by Delia." Raiden said bluntly."Their chances of returning are next to impossible."

"Tell that to everyone else." Moloch spoke, his voice deep and practically echoing through the place.

"He terrified them into submitting. Frightening and powerful as the current emperor may be, he doesn't have the power to transform into a fiery dragon." Drahmin explained.

Shang Tsung sighed."I warned him not to rush, but he would not listen. Nevertheless, you two are not to blame; you have fulfilled your obligations." He, Hotaru, and Raiden turned to their allies, finally ready to explain."I believe an explanation is in order."

Kano snorted."Ya think?"

If Shang Tsung was offended by the mercenary's rude behavior, he didn't show it."You see shortly before I revived Mileena, Havik, Reiko, Kobra, Baraka, and Mavado, I restored Moloch and Drahmin to life as well. In the past, they served Quan Chi. When they failed to capture Hanzo Hasashi, Quan Chi ordered Kitana to execute Moloch and then killed Drahmin. I could not tolerate a waste of such useful, loyal servants, so I decided to give them a second chance."

"For which we are grateful." Drahmin said. Moloch nodded in agreement.

Shang Tsung smiled."Before anyone asks who the new emperor of the Netherrealm is, allow him to introduce himself, though I am certain most of you will recognize him." No sooner had the words left Shang Tsung's lips, than a portal opened and out of it stepped a dark being dressed mostly in black save for a resplendent blue and white cape around his shoulders and crown on his head to symbolize his status as Netherrealm's ruler. Despite his appearance, he did not look regal so much as impatient and annoyed. True to Shang Tsung's word, he also looked very familiar.

"Ah, we were just talking about you." Shang Tsung said, chuckling.

"Hmph." The dark being grunted."It is about time you arrived, sorcerer. My patience wears thin."

Shang Tsung gestured to the dark being."For those of you who do not know our friend, I am pleased to inform you that you have the pleasure of meeting the new emperor of the Netherrealm as well as the original Sub-Zero himself: Noob Saibot."

"Well, I'll be damned." Kano shook his head."Didn't Nightwolf kill ya?"

Noob Saibot scoffed."He knocked me into the Soulnado. The purity of that place should have and very nearly did tear me apart. Fortunately, I was able to escape at the last minute and went into hiding."

"Until now." Raiden stated."He has come out of hiding to join our side in this conflict."

"I preferred to wait a little longer before conquering the Netherrealm, but Noob insisted otherwise." Shang Tsung said, sighing."The Brotherhood of Shadows is slowly but surely rebuilding itself under the leadership of Kia and Jataaka, whom I have also revived. I must say, Noob, I am quite surprised they agreed to join us; you did kill them long ago."

Noob laughed."They, like the two Oni, serve you out of gratitude for resurrecting and treating them with the respect Quan Chi never gave them." A hint of discomfort filled his tone."About Sareena..."

"Worry not." Shang Tsung patted him on the arm."I have ordered Kia and Jataaka not to harm Sareena. I promised you she would be made your empress and I intend to keep my promise. I am not Quan Chi, after all."

"I know." Noob replied."And I am grateful."

"How you were able to garner loyalty from so many?" Skarlet inquired.

The stealer of souls chortled."Come now, Skarlet, you of all people should know that in order to gain a slave's loyalty," He paused to pat Drahmin and Moloch on the head,", you must treat them with the respect they desperately crave."

Skarlet scowled."I'm not a slave."

"Yes, you are." Reiko said, smirking. Although the Red Dragons were ready to attack him, it was Mileena who reacted first.

"Leave her alone, Reiko." The clone growled."Given how easily Havik manipulated you, I doubt you have the right to judge anyone else for enduring a similar plight." Skarlet was visibly shocked by Mileena speaking up in her defense, but the shock faded and was replaced by satisfaction at the ire overtaking Reiko's features. Havik made no attempt to hide his mirth as he snickered into his hands.

"Enough." Raiden snapped. He smiled at Shang Tsung."I must say, sorcerer, you have impressed me. I already had the Red and Black Dragon clans, the Seidan army, and vampires prior to your return. Now, thanks to you, I have the Tarkatans and Brotherhood of Shadow. You have earned my trust."

"I am honored, Lord Raiden." Shang Tsung bowed."Of course, I have revived another useful kombatant."

"Yes." Raiden nodded."Quan Chi is a brainwashed tool on Kotal Kahn's side; therefore, it is only fair for us to have our own tool." He snapped his fingers.

A bright light temporarily blinded the group, forcing them to shield their eyes. When the light vanished, several jaws dropped and eyes widened.

"You!" Daegon snarled.

Havik grinned."How chaotic."

"No." Nitara and D'Vorah whispered in unison, exchanging horrified glances.

"Impossible!" Goro exclaimed.

Skarlet's breath quickened."Why?"

"Well, I'll be damned again." Kano said, shaking his head.

"By the Elder Gods..." Tanya breathed.

"Is that..." Baraka trailed off.

"Indeed it is." Reiko said, equally shocked.

Mileena gasped."Daddy?"

Standing before them was a living, breathing, and brainwashed Shao Kahn.

Raiden's amulet, which previously only had three cracks and formed four more cracks over time, was now close to completely shattering.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Determined Savior - Same here._

 _madmaxHojo36_ _\- I'm excited and nervous for the tournament because my fight scenes need work and I keep changing things whenever I previously think everything is final. As for Shao Kahn, Noob Saibot, and Netherrealm, does this chapter answer your question? Thanks for pointing out the error. I always proofread before posting but there is always some mistake(s) I somehow missed. Oh, and TV Tropes has that effect on me too. XD. Stop apologizing for long reviews. I love getting long reviews so I look forward to reading them. It's nice to get a 'good chapter' review but I prefer to read people's thoughts in detail so I have a better understanding of what they think. As for Hsu Hao, yeah, he can rot in Netherrealm for all I care. People say they hate Kano, Shao Kahn, etc but in reality they're the guys we love to hate while Hsu Hao is just the guy we hate. You're right about Armageddon being much closer than when the story began._

 _Guest - I know, right? I roll my eyes at haters and those stupid guest characters. Why do we need Leatherface, Jason Vorhees, Freddy Krueger, Kratos, Predator, or Alien? They don't belong here. And if you are gonna put guest characters, put them in the right game. I hate how silent characters like Jason, Predator, and Alien ruin the intro dialogues of MKX which are my favorite thing about the game. Kratos and Freddy should have been in MKX. It would have great to see Freddy and Tremor talk about the Dreamrealm while Kratos and Scorpion discussed vengeance. Why are we getting these movie characters who have no place in the MK Universe when fans are begging for Sareena, Fujin, etc.? It's sad how pigheaded Ed Boon is. So much potential wasted on such truly wonderful characters...except Hsu Hao. XD No one cares about him. Seriously_ _, how desperate was Daegon for minions that he genuinely thought it was a good idea to recruit him?_

 _Guest - He's referring to how Raiden's gone insane._

 _Next up: Chapter 62:Orin_


	63. Chapter 62:Orin

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."  
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 **Chapter 62:Orin**

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"How can you not blame me for this?"

Orin sighed in response to the question. Within the place where he'd hid Taven for thousands of years in preparation for the quest, the dragon, demigod, and sorceress sat together talking. Well, Taven had participated in the conversation for five minutes before falling asleep and was currently resting his head in his mother's lap. Given how trying recent events had been for him, Orin wasn't surprised. How Delia managed to remain awake was beyond him; the poor woman's eyes were puffy from all the crying she'd done. Not that Taven fared any better, but Delia seemed more determined to stay awake. The way she held Taven conveyed a fear of losing another son. After what happened with Daegon, Orin didn't blame her. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Caro felt.

A part of Orin wanted to reduce Daegon to ashes. Another part pitied him. Shinnok and Raiden were master manipulators who took advantage of Daegon's desperation for a father figure to use him as a pawn. He found himself not mourning Argus. How do you mourn a man who practically disowned his own son in front of the boy's mother? In his heart, he yearned to believe that Argus was different from his fellow Elder Gods, but he was just like them in every single way: indifferent, blunt, and cold. The sole reason he didn't voice his ire at Argus was respect for Delia. He also felt sympathy for Rain. How much sorrow, death, and chaos could have been avoided if Argus was a better father to his youngest sons?

All this planning to prevent Armageddon for nothing. All this suffering for nothing. All this death for nothing. All this betrayal for nothing. Blaze was supposed to be the one who had to be destroyed to save the realms. Now Raiden was the target. So long as he lived, no one was safe. To think something as simple as purifying the Jinsei was enough to turn someone as kind and wise as Raiden into a monster worse than Shao Kahn...awful didn't begin to cover it. There were no words, only emotions and even those emotions were difficult to describe.

"You are not to blame for this, Delia." Orin said."You tried to do the right thing. You needn't feel guilty."

She shook her head."My vision started this."

"You cannot control your visions, Delia."

"I could have suggested a better plan."

"Argus wanted to kill the kombatants while you suggested a kinder approach. Argus did not care about the danger he was putting his own children in nor the child he'd rejected while you were tearing your hair out. That, to me, proves you are an innocent in this."

"This quest," She said, wiping away a tear,", has destroyed my family. My husband is dead, my youngest son is a villain..." She choked on a sob as she stroked Taven's head."Taven is all I have left, Orin. If I lose him too, I will lose my grip on sanity."

"You are strong, Delia. You resurrected yourself as well as another-"

"Whom I have continually put in danger." She interrupted."My hesitation nearly got Jade and I killed. If Taven hadn't arrived in time to save us, we would not be having this conversation. I am a fool."

Orin sighed."We are all fools. We have all made mistakes. Nothing can be done to change the past nor guarantee the future. We must focus on the present."

"If I ever pulled Argus aside-"

"And done what? Ask him to be kinder to Daegon? To listen to him? To tell him he loved him? We both that even if you had done that and if Argus had done as you asked, he would not have been sincere. He was a stubborn man."

"I fell in love with his stubbornness." She whispered."Now that I think about it, he never once told me he loved me. Whenever I said those three words to him, he would hesitate, look at me uncomfortably, and leave. I told myself he was a man of action rather than words, but now I see he was neither. He was as much a hypocrite as the Elder Gods."

"Given the fact that he was one of them, I am not surprised. It is true he hadn't yet ascended to full Elder God status, but he was nevertheless one of their own. He is gone and-"

"Nothing can change that." She agreed."I remember feeling so angry and horrified right after Daegon killed him. I knocked him down and was ready to end his life...until I looked him in the eye and hesitated. I did not see a murderer when I looked at him; I saw that little boy I'd raised and loved, whose tears I'd wiped away, whom I'd comforted and defended when Argus wronged him, not the person who'd killed my husband in front of my very eyes. I extended a hand to him, helped him up...he drove his sword through my heart and said nothing as I died."

Orin looked down as Delia clenched a fist. Her entire body began to shake with sorrow and rage. The shaking only got worse with each word she uttered.

"In my temple, I gave him a chance to redeem himself and rejoin his family. He was about to take my hand...when Raiden ruined everything. The Thunder God made me watch as he manipulated my son right in front of me. I think about that smirk on his face and then I begin imagining various ways to torture him via fire. I want to make him feel the same physical and mental agony I experienced in that moment. I said I would kill him if he hurt my family or touched my children. I will do just that...after making him beg for death."

"How is Taven taking all of this?" Orin asked, nodding to the slumbering demigod."To be awoken from a coma to discover his family has been ruined and a family friend has become an enemy...it must be painful for him to say the least."

Delia smiled wanly."He is strong. But yes, to say this is overwhelming does not begin to cover it. The first thing he saw when Takeda freed him was me in another woman's body. He was barely conscious when he saw Raiden's new dark appearance for the first time and witnesssed the resurrection of the revenants. He wept when I revealed Shao Kahn had conquered Edenia, he wept alongside me after Raiden tricked Daegon into turning against us, he wept for both his brothers and cursed out his own father for failing to be there for those brothers. Everything was dropped upon him without warning and for all that he endures it, in private he breaks down. He has been forced to grow up faster than I would have liked out of necessity. The conflict we are about to face is no game; it is war, one he is struggling to prepare himself for."

Orin returned the smile."It is a good thing then that he is not alone. He has you and I as well as his fellow Edenians and Fujin."

"Fujin...this is perhaps the most agonizing for him. He has assisted Raiden in protecting Earthrealm in the past, but to suddenly have the weight of leadership thrown upon his shoulders...he bears the burden like Raiden did prior to his corruption. Look at what has happened to Raiden, Fujin says. Will I become like that too, he asks."

"What did you say?"

"He walked away before I could respond."

"Why?" Orin asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Because he knew my words would not ease his fears. The same applies to Taven. He allows me to embrace him, to whisper promises of how everything will be alright into his ear, laughs and makes jokes with Jade while she is in control, yet he does this to hide his emotions. He knows the negative effect they shall have on him if he allows them to overtake him, so he buries and hides them deep within his heart. He is bitter and I do not blame him. Every single one of us is fighting to maintain our sanity. It is like dangling over the edge of a cliff by our fingers and trying to pull ourselves up while not looking down lest we be captured by the abyss. Raiden fell into the abyss and the being which crawled back up in his place is someone I wish we never met. Better for him to have died a hero than survive only to become that which he hated."

Taven mumbled sleepily, but did not awaken. Delia and Orin silently studied him for several minutes before the sorceress broke the silence.

"Tell me the truth, Orin." She locked her gaze with his as she spoke."Do you think we can win this? Do not say yes simply because you believe it will please me. I wish to hear your honest opinion on the topic."

Orin hesitated. Delia's piercing gaze bore into him, empathizing her seriousness. Where Argus could look into one's soul with his stoical visage, Delia blended calmness and urgency to make herself appear more serious and impossible to deceive. She would notice if he displayed even the slightest bit of deception or reluctance. That gave him no choice but to answer truthfully.

"I believe that you and everyone in general will do whatever must be done to defeat Raiden and stop Armageddon from occurring. Any sacrifice that must be made, any blood that must be shed, any loss that must be endured will not stand in your way. You... **we** will fight to the very last man, to the very last breath to win this war. It is better go down fighting than submit and live a life of anguish and self-loathing. Raiden will not give up either. Yet we have something in our warriors that he lacks from his enforcers: loyalty. Even those who willingly serve him fear him rather respect him. That is his fatal flaw. He hasn't surrounded himself with the best people from what I've heard."

"He is desperate." Delia said."That is what makes him dangerous. We have Shinnok to thank for this. I see now that it was not his plan to conquer Earthrealm or destroy his fellow deities; Raiden was always his prime target. I do not doubt that he watched Raiden absorb his corruption with satisfaction in his eyes. That satisfaction doubtless remained even as Raiden decapitated him and threw his head at Liu Kang and Kitana's feet. I can imagine him laughing as we speak at his success in having turned his arch enemy into an evil creature that rivals him and Shao Kahn combined in sadism alone."

"Shao Kahn and Shinnok were predictable." Orin said."The emperor could hardly control his temper whilst the treacherous Elder God had a chillingly calm demeanor to him."

"Raiden is a mix of both. He was calm when he revealed himself during mine and Taven's conversation with Daegon, but he lost his temper when Taven compared him to Shao Kahn and went on to say he was worse than the emperor. A moment later, he was back to being calm as he whispered lies into Daegon's ear and smirked at Taven and I in victory before departing."

"To completely answer your question, Delia," Orin said,", I believe victory can be achieved for our side, albeit not easily. Then again, has victory ever been easy for us? We survived Shao Kahn's failed invasion of Edenia centuries ago. We can survive this war with Raiden as well."

Delia started to reply, but instead of words, a scream escaped her lips. Taven was awake in an instant and by her side as she clutched her head and cried out in agony along with Jade. Orin and Taven exchanged a worried glance, knowing what was happening: Delia was having a vision.

"Mother!" Taven cried, grasping her wrists and lowering his voice to a whisper."Mother, what do you see?"

Delia whimpered." **He** has returned."

At first, Taven and Orin were confused. Then they realized in horror whom she was referring to.

Shao Kahn had returned.

* * *

 _Hi everyone. After the reactions to my rant on guest characters, I have a lot to say so please just hear me out then decides for yourselves. I've calmed down so I can say this with a clear head._

 _It's true I don't watch horror films but I see the appeal in guest characters. I shouldn't have called them stupid nor should I have responded to reviews in a bad mood. Here's what I should have said: guest characters are good additions but after 4 it feels a little like overdoing it. It feels smoother in my book to have one or two per game. That's just my opinion so make of it what you will. Furthermore, it makes sense for horror film characters to be in a game like Mortal Kombat but again it feels to me like they're overdoing it. I'm also well aware that these characters, particularly Jason, are very popular. I acknowledge their popularity, but I fail to understand why Jason is so popular. Here's why I feel this way. I'm not an expert on him but I've done my research and to me, for all his tragic backstory, all he seems to be popular for is brutally killing people in every movie except the first one in which his mother turned out to be the killer. Granted, Mortal Kombat gained fame (and controversy) for its violent fatalities, but at least the characters have personalities. To me, Jason is just this silent guy who kills people for an entire movie while the protagainst eventually manages to defeat him only for the ending to reveal or hint that he's still alive and then he comes back in the next movie and what is the first thing he does? Kills the previous protagonist. Doesn't that seem a little repetitive? I don't like how they seem to focus more on coming up with creative ways for him to kill people rather than give him a true personality nor make a compelling and creative plot. There's also the fact that most of his kills seem so pointless. I can totally understand his mother wanting payback on those camp councilors so for the indirect role they played in her son's death, but can someone please explain to me why it makes sense to kill a man in a wheelchair? Most of his victims don't know he exists, let alone have any part in his death, so why do they need to die? He doesn't seem to match up against other horror icons like Freddy for example. To me, Freddy seems to be the stronger one because while Jason relies on physical horror with his brutal murders, Freddy truly plants a psychological fear in people's minds by literally killing them in their sleep. Not only that, but he's given a true personality and has evolved over the years from being a killer who makes clever puns before each kill to a malicious monster that makes people hesitate to fall asleep today._ _I was genuinely shocked to see that Jason won their battle._ _This is not a rant against Jason Voorhees. This is me expressing my genuine thoughts about this character and explaining why I feel this way so please don't think I'm roasting him because I'm not. All I'm saying is he doesn't seem to match up with other horror icons yet he seems to be the most popular._

 _Another thing I said in my comments on guest characters was if you are going to put guest characters, make sure they fit in. Sure, violence fits in great with this game, but like I said, silent characters tend to ruin the intro dialogues. I feel that Jason, Alien, Predator, and Leatherface would have been better suited in MK9 where their silence wouldn't have mattered but in MKX where characters share a brief conversation before fighting and that conversation just being strictly one-sided seems kinda...weird. I would have much preferred to have Freddy and Kratos in MKX where they could talk with Tremor and Scorpion about Dreamrealm and vengeance respectively._

 _I'm not just another blind hater although I admittedly **did** sound like one. I could have and should have been more professional when voicing my opinion but instead I came out as resembling a whiny, immature brat...and a bitch. __I've had moments in my life when I'm ashamed of myself and this is undoubtedly one of them. I'm truly sorry for my behavior and I hope you can forgive me although I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I admit my fault in this and if you guys can find in it your hearts to accept my apology then I hope to see you next chapter. God knows I'm lucky anyone took the time to read this chapter and author's note._

 _In conclusion, If anyone feels that what I have said is insufficient, insincere, or incorrect in any way, feel free to voice your opinion. I can handle justifiable criticism. You are welcome to prove me wrong in any argument you may have. I only ask_ _that you do so in a calm and respectful manner and I will do the same from now on. I don't want this site to become a war zone because of my error in judgement._

 _kirbyfan1996 - Even evil has loved ones. Although it's not as sweet as you think, darling. You'll see what I mean later. ;)_

 _Snafu the Great - *grins and shrugs mischievously*_

 _DarkAssassin15 - I like to take my time with character development and plot development so it feels more realistic. I'm glad you enjoy my story and hope to hear from you more often._

 _Francisco-Devilman-Warrior - A fitting punishment for both himself and Quan Chi. Shang Tsung is having the time of his life right now. Thank you for agreeing with me on guest characters properly fitting into the game they're put in and for not getting becoming upset with me._

 _subzerothecryomancer - Scroll down for an answer._

 _Jarjaxle - *grins and shrugs mischievously again*_

 _Next up: Chapter 63:Quan Chi_


	64. Chapter 63:Quan Chi

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I am nothing but novocaine. I am numb, a world of nothing, all feeling and emotion gone forever.  
I am a whisper that never was."  
— Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1))

 **Chapter 63:Quan Chi**

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Free will.

It was something that no longer held any meaning to him. It was a pointless thing, an obstacle to his mission. Therefore, the Elder Gods burned it from his soul. He knew what it was, but did not feel nor need it. All that mattered was his directive: kill Raiden. The Thunder God had become a threat and needed to be eliminated. This was the will of the Elder Gods, so he would fulfill it. Shao Kahn and Shinnok did not matter anymore. Their threat paled in comparison to the one Raiden posed. If Raiden succeeded, Armageddon would come.

Once upon a time, he'd been an enemy of the Elder Gods, a servant to Shinnok, and a powerful sorcerer in his own right. Now he was merely a tool. If he had free will, this would have bothered him, but he did not, so he felt no emotions, let alone discontent or anger. His past mattered not. If he was commanded to fight, he would fight. If he was commanded to speak, he would speak. If he was commanded to die, he would die. He was expendable. If killing Raiden meant losing his own life a second time, then so be it.

The ex-revenants and demonesses abhorred him. Not that he was surprised as it **was** justifiable, but he lacked the ability to care. There was no mistaking eyes glaring at the back of his head or voices asking him how it felt to be a pawn. It did not feel like anything. Feelings were a pointless distraction that should be tossed aside for the greater good and never created in the first place. They, with their free will, failed to understand this. That was why they were in this situation.

Quan Chi stood to the side while Kotal Kahn, Fujin, and Liu Kang argued with the Elder Gods. Jade/Delia seemed to have trouble standing as Taven, Kitana, Ruby, and Rain were helping the green-clad woman stay on her feet. Her green irises indicated that Jade was in control. Both women were visibly shaken, considering Delia's recent vision.

Raiden, in all his haughtiness, observed the scene with a smirk. Hotaru and Shang Tsung stood on either side of him, the former wearing a blank expression while the latter inspected his nails in feigned disinterest. The sorcerer's eyes would flicker up every few minutes and his lips would twist into a brief smile. Shao Kahn, eyes as empty as Quan Chi's own, gave no reaction.

"How can you not intervene?!" Fujin demanded. His breath came in pants, his body trembled, and his teeth were clenched, giving him the appearance of a madman. Liu Kang and Kotal Kahn were equally distraught.

"Raiden has not violated-"

"Have you not been paying attention to what he has done?" Liu Kang yelled."His invasion of Outworld may not have been a violation of the rules, but he intended to merge realms without victory in Mortal Kombat and would have done so if not for Kotal Kahn crying out for help."

"Let us also not forget the atrocities he has committed." Kotal said."His invasion of my realm was one thing, but what of his other crimes? Cassandra Cage was kidnapped and tortured for days! The Lin Kuei was crippled by his hand! Li Mei's village was burned to the ground under his orders! Every decision he makes results in death and suffering!"

Fujin fell to his knees."Innocent lives are being ended or ruined, yet you do nothing?" He waved an arm in Raiden's direction."The villain himself stands here, smirking like a child playing a game! Is there not a single thing you have to say?"

Raiden chuckled, drawing all attention to himself. He patted Shao Kahn's arm."You were right." He said to ex-emperor."They **are** toothless worms. I shall enjoy squashing them."

Taven scoffed."Unbelievable." He shook his head."He's just insulted you to your faces and you remain unresponsive? Every single one of you disgusts me!"

"Watch your tone, Son of Argus."

"Oh, **I** should watch **my** tone?" Taven drawled, voice wet with derision. He pointed at Raiden."What about **him**? Why don't you tell **him** to watch **his** tone? On second thought, I **agree** with Shao Kahn and Raiden; you **are** toothless worms, especially my father and Shinnok. Argus failed to be there for my brothers. He is the reason Rain and Daegon have chosen paths of darkness! He is the reason Edenia fell to Shao Kahn! Shinnok lied to everyone from the start and only cared for his own goals! They are the reasons we are having this discussion in the first place! The rest of you are equally horrible if not worse! And to think I once admired and thought you were kind, noble deities." He let out a bitter laugh."Thankfully, I have learned the truth since my awakening..."

"Such instability." Hotaru commented, a ghost of a smile touching his lips."Havik would have loved to see this."

Placing a hand over his heart, Shang Tsung put on a theatrical countenance."How can they possibly hope to defeat us when they are too busy fighting amongst themselves? An easy victory for us. Don't you agree, emperor?" He smiled at Shao Kahn then slapped his own forehead."Ah yes, I forgot your inability to respond. My sincere apologies." The sorcerer, Seidan, and Thunder God cackled together at the jest.

Furious, Scorpion pointed a finger at Raiden."You manipulated me. I will not allow you to manipulate others."

Raiden took a moment to ponder whom Scorpion was referring to."Nitara and Daegon?" His smirk widened."They, like you, willingly chose to serve me. I did not-"

"You took advantage of my guilt to make me your pawn!" Scorpion shouted."You are now preying on their fears as well. They need only open their eyes to see you for the master manipulator you are."

Arching an eyebrow, Raiden glanced at Hotaru and flicked his head at Scorpion as if he were a child throwing a tantrum. Hotaru shrugged. Raiden abruptly launched a lightning bolt at Takeda, who yelped and fell to his knees. Jacqui, Kenshi, and Scorpion were beside him in an instant.

"I warned you not to betray me, Hanzo Hasashi." Raiden stated."Your protege will suffer far worse than Cassandra and Kevin for your betrayal. When I am done with him, there will not be enough left-"

"If you lay a hand on my son's head," Kenshi snarled,", I'll gauge your eyes out and feed them to Netherrealm's demons."

Raiden rolled his eyes."You do not frighten me one bit." He grinned wryly at Jacqui."I wonder how much fun Kano and his thugs-"

"You've got a fucking death wish, don't ya?" Jax screamed.

"Odd. I was prepared to say the same to you, Jackson Briggs." Raiden said dryly."Li Mei's people paid the price for her decision to oppose me. The Cage family will continue to suffer. As will yours, the Takahashis, the Kungs..." He tilted his head."The list goes on."

Quan Chi sensed the Elder Gods' increasing terror whenever Raiden spoke. They were afraid of him, more so than they'd ever been of Shao Kahn or Shinnok. Their fright and desperation drove them to resurrect Shinnok's right hand man. In spite of their fear, they refused to get involved. Were he his former self, Quan Chi might have been amused. He heard their mental whispers to one another in his head. However, this was not enough to change their minds; they stuck to their decision and ordered him to accomplish his mission at all costs. He would do just that.

Kitana exchanged grim looks with Liu Kang. It was clear they were thinking the same thing and, like their allies, regretted coming here.

"We are wasting our breath." Liu Kang said, rubbing his temples. He placed a hand on Kotal's shoulder."It is as I told you and Master Bo' Rai Cho. The Elder Gods **fear** Raiden more than they ever did Shinnok or Shao Kahn. That is why they resurrected Quan Chi. They are as desperate to stop Raiden as Kotal Kahn. If Raiden ignores the rules, they will **not** interfere. It is as simple as that."

Ruby scowled."If they're so useless, why did we bother coming here?"

"We came out of desperation." Kitana said."And desperation drives people to do foolish things, including seeking aid from the Elder Gods out of true belief that they would give it."

"In all honesty, I doubt we even require their help." Rain said."Their cowardice prevents them from doing anything except shudder with fright."

"You are one to talk, traitorous bastard." The Elder Gods meant it as a statement of fact rather than an insult, yet Rain took offense. They were correct, of course, no matter how offended he was. He **was** traitorous **and** a bastard.

"Leave him alone." Taven spat."His motives for allying with us may be selfish, but at least he is wise enough to see the seriousness of the situation and actually **do** something about it." Rain's eyes went wide at Taven's defense of him, but they swiftly narrowed and he turned his head to the side to avoid looking at his half-brother. Ruby's hand came to rest on his shoulder. Rain made no attempt to shrug her off.

Taven cast a rueful look to Quan Chi."I do not suppose the necromancer has anything to add." Quan Chi gazed unblinkingly at the demigod, gesturing to the Elder Gods as a way of telling him they were the ones to seek a reply from. Taven sighed."I was joking." Quan Chi's gaze did not falter. He failed to see the point of jests or this entire conversation for that matter. Nothing had changed. All they did was waste precious time and energy. How typical of mortals. Even Fujin had been affected by their poor to nonexistent judgement.

"Let's just go." Taven said."It was inane to think they would be of any help to us."

What did they think would happen? That the Elder Gods would break the rules and risk themselves to save imperfect mortals? They would die anyway. What difference did it make when or how? So long as a single diety remained in existence, the world could be remade. Again, Quan Chi was reminded of how free will clouded one's judgement.

Raiden cleared his throat."I believe this comedy act has gone on for too long. Sunrise is a few hours away and you have a ship to prepare for its route to Shang Tsung's Island. We are preparing to head there ourselves later on today and shall be awaiting your arrival."

Shang Tsung approached his enemies with a smile on his face, stopping a safe distance away from them to address his two rivals."I look forward to our rematch, Liu Kang. And ours as well, Delia."

Liu Kang smirked."I look forward to humiliating you again."

"As does Delia." Jade added.

"Save a piece of him for me." Kenshi said.

Shang Tsung chuckled and turned to Quan Chi."I must say you were wrong to be so cruel to your servants. Drahmin, Moloch, Kia, and Jataaka have excelled in my service. Mayhap because unlike you, I treat them with respect. I wonder if Sareena or Ashrah can be persuaded similarly." What the stealer of souls hoped to achieve by mentioning Quan Chi's former servants was beyond him.

"You will leave them both alone." Kitana growled.

Still smiling, Shang Tsung bowed."Until our next meeting." He said as he walked backwards. Raiden lifted a hand to teleport himself and his retinue away, vanishing in a bright light.

"Come." Fujin said, sighing."There is much to be done and very little time to do it."

No one spared the Elder Gods another glance as the Wind God raised his hand to teleport them back to Outworld.

* * *

 _Before I respond to the reviews, I have one request: can all the guest reviewers write under different names so I don't get confused and wonder if I'm talking to the same person because I get that problem sometimes. If you could do that simple task for me it would be greatly appreciated._

 _madmaxHojo36 - Your ending quotes bring a smile to my face every time._

 _Guests who talked about Jason Vorhees and slasher films in general - It's true that horror films have evolved over the years so naturally while Jason is still popular, I think fans look more with nostalgia at him nowadays. He is a horror icon after all. That's just my opinion so make of it what you will._ _I'll be honest; never heard of Pinhead but I do know Michael Myers. He's hard to kill and his first victim was his older sister whom he murdered with a kitchen knife as a kid and most Halloween films end with characters having "Oh Crap!" moments when it's revealed he's still alive. I think it's pretty much guaranteed that he'll appear in the next game. Heck, they might even include Chucky from Child's Play. That'll certainly be interesting to see. No need to apologize. Let's just agree to let bygones be bygones._

 _On a more humorous and slightly unrelated note, I can't stop thinking about how Kevin would react to Leatherface's crush on Cassie...come on, I **know** I'm not the only one. _

_Kitanaleena - Well, darling, as I'm sure you've noticed this story has been an emotional roller coaster for all our beloved characters, so don't think I'm going easy on our now ex-revenants. I don't think they can ever truly or fully redeem themselves but they **can** get some closure. I mean, look at Jax, Kuai Liang, and Hanzo. They've done so much good to try to atone for their sins but are still haunted by them, so I don't think the trauma will ever completely go away. Right now, they're burying themselves in their work to distract themselves from the trauma_ _, but they know they have to confront their demons at some point and they will. Like NeedsANewPenname very accurately put it, not enough therapy in the world after what these pour souls have been through._

 _Drahimus - There are many reasons. His costume can be considered part of it but it depends on who you ask. Some people like it and others don't. The main reasons he's hated (and irredeemable) will be discussed below:_

 _1\. He's a bad Mongolian stereotype. This one speaks for itself._

 _2\. While Kobra, Drahmin, Moloch, etc are also hated, at least they have personalities and goals. Sure, Kobra's a Ken Masters wannabe punk who only cares about killing but he still has a personality. Drahmin (Hsu Hao shares the position of Ed Boon's least favorite character with Drahmin) and Moloch have goals; in the original timeline, they wanted revenge on Quan Chi for betraying them which is understandable. But Hsu Hao is just there. All he does is get bossed around by Mavado in Deadly Alliance like a common brainless minion and plays no role whatsoever in Armageddon._ _He has no agendas and that makes him boring. Granted, Mavado answers to Daegon, but he's much higher in power as a Red Dragon than Hsu Hao and has more backstory. Then again, I don't think Hsu Hao has any backstory at all. Again, he's just there._

 _3\. The developers themselves haven't even **tried** to hide their contempt for this character. For example, John Vogel has admitted that he hates Hsu Hao as much as Ed Boon does. Vogel once said, "We were fully prepared to say, 'Yes, (Jax killing Hsu Hao in his Deadly Alliance ending by ripping out his heart) really happened. He's dead. He's gone.' But Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is about bringing every character back to life. So, Hsu Hao is back...much to my dismay." He said this verbatim. Another example is when Kano's MKX design came out and someone asked Ed Boon via Twitter if Hsu Hao would be "jealous of that chest piece". Boon bluntly replied,"Yes, and we don't care." And let's not forget his appearance in the prequel comic and let's be honest, we were **all** thinking these exact words before Scorpion said them: "GET OUT OF HERE!" What does it say about a character if the developers themselves do not like said character? _

_And that, my friend, is why Hsu Hao is hated and cannot be redeemed and even if he could be, the developers lack the will to try and most fans lack the will to care. There is a minority that likes him, but I put heavy emphasis on the word 'minority'._

 _Guests who asked about Mokap - *shrugs mischievously* What? You know how evil I am by now._

 _Bro - I enjoyed writing that chapter more than I expected to and Hanzo's expressing empathy to Li Mei and Dairou was without a doubt my favorite part. As for Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung brainwashed him to serve them as well as for revenge for what was done to him. So now both sides have a brainwashed slave. Kotal Kahn's side has Quan Chi whilst Raiden's side has Shao Kahn._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 64:Khameleon_


	65. Chapter 64:Khameleon

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I am about tribal feminine power. As a leader, I may stumble but my essence lives to the future- of my people, of my literature, of my art. And when a tribesman turn against its leader, that tribe will become two. It may faulter my course, but it will not stifle my ending. I rule only among my believers."  
— Kristie LeVangie

 **Chapter 64:Khameleon**

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Uncomfortable.

If Khameleon were to suggest one word to describe the silence in the war room, this would be it. The Matriarch sat at a table, tapping her fingers against the surface of the piece of furniture to slightly pierce the quietude. Her brother Chameleon stood behind her, one hand resting on her shoulder. Sheeva, whose upper arms were both in casts, was seated at the head of the table. Darrius and Dairou leaned against the wall with Ferra and Viviana sitting on the floor playing close to the mercenary's feet. Erron Black spun the cylinder of his revolver, mumbling to himself. Bo' Rai Cho, Li Mei, Shujinko, Ashrah, and Sareena sat with folded hands and lowered eyes. Johhny Cage paced back and forth, muttering his ex-wife's name under his breath repeatedly in worry. Ermac, Kira, Kai, Vera Briggs, and the ex-revenants were equally uneasy.

Half-an-hour ago, Jade/Delia revealed that Shao Kahn lived again. Kotal Kahn, Fujin, and Liu Kang took a group to see the Elder Gods or rather, beg for their help. They hadn't been very hopeful so much as desperate; based on what Syzoth told her, she didn't blame them. Several atrocities might have been avoided if said deities got involved. To plead for their help was as fruitful as asking water not to be wet, but Fujin insisted that they had to at least try.

True to Syzoth's word, Kotal Kahn was a good man who treated his men with respect and acknowledged his faults. She admired that. The fact that Kotal had been the only person allowed to address Reptile by his real name prior to him meeting Khameleon proved the strength of their bond. Kotal didn't treat Syzoth like a lackey, but a friend/brother. She hadn't expected that even after hearing Syzoth speak so fondly of the Osh-Tekk. Kotal had welcomed the Saurians to Outworld despite his obvious shock. Loath as she was to admit it, she understood why Syzoth had been willing to abandon his own people. It was true they were the same species as the Zaterran, but that was where the connection ended. They hadn't known him, hadn't fought beside him, hadn't even shown him proper sympathy for hismpain...she didn't blame Syzoth for feeling the way he did.

Although Khameleon knew their focus should be primarily on the coming war, she found herself worrying about what would happen afterwards (assuming they survived). Kotal had agreed to free Edenia and offered to free Zaterra as well. Seeing as she hadn't lived there, Khameleon felt no longing for Zaterra. Neither did the other Saurians. Syzoth clearly intended to stay at his emperor's side until his dying breath and showed no care for his realm. His place was here and it pained Khameleon to realize that she had no idea where her place was. Chameleon tried to console her, but his and the others' distrust of Syzoth made things more difficult. Rubbing her eyes, she heaved a sigh. Now was not the time to concern oneself with petty things.

The tournament was coming soon. She needed to stay behind to lead her people. Yet she couldn't bear the thought of Syzoth going without another Saurian. Chameleon, wanting to honor his race and ease his sibling's concerns, volunteered to go. Proud as she was of his desire for the former, the latter gave the opposite effect. She already had her hands full worrying for the future; she didn't need to further her vexation by trembling over her brother's safety. However, she realized she wasn't the only one fearing for a loved one's wellbeing. Everyone had that concern, yet pushed through it for the greater good. She needed to do the same. How selfish was it of her to attempt to hide her family from danger whilst allowing others to march to their doom? Every single one of them had to make sacrifices to win. Victory was what mattered the most.

There was a sudden flash of light as Kotal, Fujin, Liu Kang, Jade/Delia, Taven, Rain, Ruby, Syzoth, Kitana, Sonya Blade, Jax, Jacqui, Takeda, Kung Jin, Kenshi, Scorpion, and Quan Chi returned from their meeting with the Elder Gods. Their faces were grim, tired, and vexed. One needn't be a genius to guess why.

"Lemme guess." Erron Black said, sighing."They're not gonna intervene." It was not a question.

"Do they ever?" Sonya grumbled. Johnny put a hand on her shoulder. She made no attempt to reject his comfort. Takeda and Jacqui clutched one another's hands. Vera ran into Jax's arms. Kenshi and Scorpion seemingly exchanged sorrowful glances despite the former being blind.

"Raiden was there." Fujin said, rubbing his temples."He watched, smirking like a child who'd just won a game, as I fell to my knees and begged the Elder Gods to help us."

"They couldn't care less." Taven said, disdain filling his tone as he shook his head."When I called them out for not to responding Raiden's threat on their lives, they told **me** to watch **my** tone."

"They also had no problem calling me out for my treacherous history." Rain added, rolling his eyes.

Ruby crossed her arms, scowling as she did so."We'd have had better luck speaking to a brick wall." Jade/Delia and Taven muttered their agreements.

Liu Kang pulled Kitana into a loose embrace, ignoring how Rain averted his eyes to the romantic scene. Sheeva stood from her chair so Kotal could slump into it. The emperor rested his head in his hands, the very picture of exhaustion. Syzoth patted his arm.

"We are on our own then." Khameleon said softly.

Liu Kang chuckled humorlessly."You will get used to it."

"You were right, Liu Kang; Raiden frightens them more than Shao Kahn and Shinnok combined." Kotal whispered."In spite of their fear, they won't lift a finger to stop him. I wonder sometimes if they truly care. Every single one of them is a filthy coward."

"That," Taven sneered,", is a compliment compared to what they deserve."

"Enough." Fujin said, stern yet calm."All of us cannot participate in the tournament. War is coming. Some will leave for the tournament while others remain here to prepare."

"As the one who invoked Mortal Kombat, I **must** be present." Kotal stated."However, many of my men are wounded. Ferra/Torr cannot fight. No argument can made toward that."

"You are not going without me." Syzoth was to quick to declare.

"We were prepared to say the same thing." Ermac said, nodding.

Erron Black spun the clyninder of his revolver with a grunt."Don't even think of leavin' me behind. I didn't get my ass whooped by Li Mei durin' sparrin' matches for the last couple of days for nothin'."

"I will go as well." Bo' Rai Cho said."You will need as many Outworlders as possible to represent your realm. I can add in some last minute training while I am there."

"I am an Outworlder too." Li Mei's voice was low and icy, conveying a lack of tolerance for argument. Of course, this did not stop anyone from protesting.

Kotal frowned."You are not in good mental condition to-"

"My mental condition is not your concern, emperor. In fact, you are a hypocrite to judge me on health when your physical health is far from-"

Kotal shot out of his chair and raised his voice to a shout."I am emperor of Outworld! I have no choice in the matter! If I am not present, then the purpose of the tournament is rendered void!"

"You need me there." Li Mei hissed, smiling mirthlessly."I am from this realm; therefore, you **have** to take me. I personally trained him." She pointed at Black."And I will not let someone else steal my right to kill Hotaru. That bastard will pay for what he did to my people."

Suddenly, Darrius laughed. It was not a laugh of mirth, but rather disbelief and mockery and it was so quiet it was almost unheard. When all attention was on him, he gave Li Mei an enigmatic smile and said,"You won't last five seconds against Hotaru. Havik is a rival to him and I'm a worthy opponent, but you're merely an obstacle. Your people were a means to an end. You may call me cruel to say this, but I'm correct in my words. Your emotions will get the better of you and Hotaru will have no problem defeating you. And that is assuming you two are even chosen to fight each other in a match."

Khameleon clenched her jaw. Darrius struck her as an odd man. One minute, he was kind and polite to his acolytes, the next he was blunt and arrogant. Li Mei looked ready to attack the Resistance leader. Luckily, Dairou stopped her.

"Don't take it personally, Li Mei." Dairou said dryly."Darrius and Hotaru have a long history. As much as I hate to admit it, Darrius isn't wrong; if Hotaru didn't see the cleric of chaos as a true threat, he won't be frightened of you either. His main priority in life in killing Darrius and he will plunge his naginata into anyone who stands in his way."

Li Mei gave another mirthless smile."But Darrius cannot participate. He must stay with his followers because he is the sole authority figure whom they will obey. And you will also be unable to go due to your obligations as Viviana's guardian, Dairou." She turned to Kotal."Argue all you wish. Nothing will change my mind."

"You're going to get yourself killed." Darrius said, his smile gone.

"Cease this debate." Fujin ordered."Shang Tsung was not incorrect to mock us for fighting amongst ourselves. Raiden's group is unstable to say the least, but if we allow ourselves to copy their actions, we will fall and Armageddon shall come."

"Fujin's right." Sonya said."Li Mei's from Outworld. Outworld needs several fighters from its native realm. Honestly though, Li Mei, there's no guarantee you'll get to fight Hotaru, just like there's no guarantee I'll get to fight Kano if I go."

Johnny's eyebrows rose."If?"

Sonya nodded."I've been thinking a lot since we rescued Cassie...and I think it would be best for me to stay here. I can't fight Kano if I'm busy vomitting, crying, and yelling the entire time. Plus, Cassie needs me to be close by right now. The reason Kano and Raiden managed to kidnap her is my lack of judgement and care. If she's going to recover, she should have both parents nearby." She sent Kira a rueful look."Someone opened my eyes recently by reminding me that my daughter's life is more important than revenge." Kira inclined her head in approval.

Kotal flicked his head in the Saurian siblings' direction."Have you two discussed...?" He trailed off, eyebrow raised. They exchanged a glance before the female answered.

"My brother has my blessing to participate." Khameleon struggled to keep a steady tone which contrasted the disquiet ripping her soul apart. Chameleon squeezed her shoulder, the gesture a mix of expressing comfort and gratitude. She rested her hand on his.

"Twenty-six." Liu Kang said."That is the number of kombatants on Raiden's side." He used his fingers to count the names."Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Li Mei, Bo' Rai Cho, and Chameleon make seven on our side. We require nineteen more."

"We're going too." Jacqui said, gesturing to herself, Takeda, and Kung Jin."Like Black said, we didn't endure those training sessions for naught."

"After the way Raiden threatened you," Scorpion said to Takeda,", I refuse to let you go alone."

"Funny, I was prepared to say the same thing." Kenshi said, also addressing the young telepath."I meant what I said I'd do to him if he laid a hand on you, son."

"Liu Kang and I spoke to our fellow ex-revenants and we have agreed that Liu Kang, Kabal, Nightwolf, Smoke, Kung Lao, and myself are best suited to take part in Mortal Kombat." Kitana said."Jade/Delia, Ruby, Taven, and Rain will accompany us. That makes twenty-two. We have four positions left. Who will volunteer?"

Ashrah tentatively raised her hand after receiving an encouraging look from Sareena. The white-clad demoness seemed unsure of how to address her superiors. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper."I do not know if I should refer to you or Liu Kang as emperor or empress-"

"You do not." They said in unison.

Nodding, Ashrah relaxed."Prior to your...resurrection, you ordered me to endure vigorous training in preparation for the tournament. As others have said, that training should not go to waste."

"Twenty-three." Fujin said."Three more."

"You are not participating?" Kotal asked.

Fujin shook his head."Seeing as I am now Protector of Earthrealm in everything but name, I need to plan for the future. You and Liu Kang concern yourselves with the tournament. The rest of us," He beckoned to Sonya,", will stay behind."

"Very well then." Kotal said."Who else shall volunteer?"

"Take Quan Chi." Fujin suggested."Raiden will no doubt bring Shao Kahn. It is only fair that we bring our own not so secret weapon."

"We still need two more kombatants."

"Count me in." Jax said."No way I'm letting that bastard get away with threatening my daughter."

Vera sighed."I guess that means I have to worry about both of you now." Johnny patted her arm.

"One last position open." Liu Kang said, looking around the room."Who will take it?"

"Me." Kai said."I didn't spend twenty-two years searching for my soul and keeping in practice with my Shaolin training just to sit on the sidelines."

"Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Rain, Ruby, Li Mei, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Takeda, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, and Quan Chi." Fujin listed the names aloud."Have I missed anyone?" Everyone shook their heads."Then it is decided. The aforementioned twenty-six will leave tomorrow for Shang Tsung's Island."

Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, Kotal clasped his hands in front of him."I shall order preparations to be made as soon as the sun begins to rise. We should be ready to set sail at sunset if not slightly earlier. Is that suitable?" Several nods were given in reply."Good. I hereby adjourn this meeting. Go rest while you are able to."

With the exception of the twin Saurians, everyone exited the room. Syzoth spared the duo no glance as he was engrossed in conversation with Kotal. Khameleon remained seated and her brother stood his ground. No one seemed to notice or care for their lack of movement. Once the door closed behind the last person to exit, Chameleon let his hand slip off her shoulder. Neither spoke, allowing the silence to return, this time just between the two of them. Five minutes passed before Khameleon broke the silence.

"Say something." The calmness of her voice concealed great discomfort.

"What, specifically?" He asked brusquely."Your feelings won't change regardless of what I say."

"You don't know that." She didn't even try to sound convincing.

"I know you, sister." His tone went from brusque to soft."I know you're afraid. Not just for me, but for our people as a whole."

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all." He replied evenly, his hand returning to her shoulder."I don't want to take part in Mortal Kombat just for our people, sister; I am also doing it to protect you."

"I don't require protection."

"Yes, you do. You may be the Matriarch, but you're still my younger sister. I promised our parents on their deathbeds that I would protect you and I will honor my promise, even if I must lose my life in the process."

She swallowed thickly, eyes narrowed."Brother-"

"Good night, sister. I will see you in the morning." Was all he said as he marched to the door and left the room without giving her a chance to respond.

Khameleon shut her eyes and prayed to whatever god would listen for the safety of her loved ones.

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 _I hope no one was confused about Khameleon (female) and Chameleon (male). For those who don't know, there is no gaurentee of whether Chameleon is part of the same race as Khameleon and Reptile, let alone related to either of them. It's just something I created for the story. I deliberately avoid having them refer to one another by name to lessen confusion._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest 1 - Don't be so sure. Raiden is a sneaky one. ;)_

 _Guest 2 - Sounds interesting. Given their success in making a fighter based on DC characters, they can definitely make a great horror fighter._

 _Kitanaleena - You got the gist of it. Like I said, emotional roller coaster..._

 _Uryuaws4 - No, you haven't missed or forgotten it. I was initially gonna do a scene in which Jax talked to Kitana and/or Liu Kang, but I decided to add more characters in so there'd be more interactions. The ex-revenants will interact with their old allies quite a bit though; I already have several ideas in my head._

 _Spinhead - I looked him up. If they do ever put him in the game, it'll certainly be interesting._

 _Cleverlittlebug - Your trivia fits perfectly into the topic and is appreciated. May he rest in peace._

 _Guest 3 - I said nothing bad about Drahmin. He may have a chance. Hsu Hao, however...no just no._

 _Guest 4 - *Shrugs* I don't watch horror films so I can't attest to their chances of lasting in actual Mortal Kombat._

 _Determined Savior, Guest 5, and Guest 6 - Tell me about it. I cannot think of one good reason for them not to help...other than that they're lazy cowards._

 _DarkAssassin15 - No one was angry about me hating guest characters. They were upset about how I voiced my opinion. I could have and should have been more professional and that was what caused people to get upset. I'm very 'meh' toward guest characters but I don't hate them. I would prefer actual MK characters appear but I have nothing against guests. I just wish Boon would focus more on his own characters, but I commend him for putting Leatherface in as a tribute to his friend. (Thanks again for the trivia, Cleverlittlebug)._

 _BrutusPrimus - Thank you! I try my best to make him an effective jerkass villain so it's nice to know I'm successful._

 _subzerothecryomancer - Thank you! :)_

 _Snafu the Great - Honestly? Nothing. 'Dysfunctional' doesn't begin to cover how screwed up that group is._

 _Next up: Chapter 65:Kira II_


	66. Chapter 65:Kira II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."  
— Theodore Roosevelt

 **Chapter 65:Kira II**

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Loving, supportive, kind, protective.

None of those words correctly described Kira's parents. They never showed her an ounce of love, support, kindness, or protectiveness. She wasn't a daughter to them, just a mistake conceived because they forgot to use protection, born because they lacked the money to get an abortion, and kept because they didn't think she deserved to be someone else's headache. Hellish didn't begin to summarize those nine years she spent with them nor her life as a slave. They beat her, yelled at her, called her names, and sold her into slavery for a sum of money she preferred not to be aware of. How many dollars was their only child's life/freedom worth?

The rich businessman who bought her owned plenty of children, but she became his favorite. He liked her calm defiant demeanor. Kira didn't scream and beg like others, she didn't whimper that she wanted to go home, she didn't cry, she didn't fight him. Little did he know, she was simply biding her time. She wanted to become his favorite, to earn his trust so she could stab him in the back when he least expected it...and it worked. He trained her to be his personal assassin to take out his rivals. He never saw her betrayal coming. The look of shock, pain, and ire on his face as she plunged a dagger into his gut brought satisfaction to her tortured, dark soul. A smile formed on her face as she used another dagger to slash his throat. As he lay dying, the last thing he felt was the excruciating pain of castration. Yet she felt no enjoyment at the lives she'd taken and ruined as a Black Dragon member.

Tasia was right; she and Kabal avoided thinking about the things they did to prevent guilt from making them hesitate, yet they knew deep down inside that what they were doing was wrong. Kabal had realized that after looking into the eyes of a boy whose father he'd murdered moments earlier as his own father had been killed right in front of him when he was that boy's age. Kira experienced empathy for the first time in her life when she looked into Nell's eyes. Seeing the fear, agony, and fury in them forced the memories she'd tried to supress back into her mind. It was then that she realized she couldn't stay with the Black Dragon anymore. So she made her decision, helped Nell escape...and doomed herself to a life on the run.

For almost twenty years, she remained under the radar, moving from place to place to avoid detection. The longest time she spent in one place was a year in Afghanistan, though she didn't return to selling weapons to terrorists. Some might call that a foolish move, but her former comrades wouldn't think she would go back there so they never checked. She could have stayed there forever, but chose not to in case they decided to check anyway.

Instead, she traveled, spending three to six months in different places. She visited every state and all of Europe before Kabal tracked her down and recruited her to Kotal Kahn's side. She hadn't expected to see Kabal ever again, let alone discover Kano impregnated Nell. Kevin shared his mother's eyes. That was how she recognized him. Every shred of doubt regarding his identity vanished the second they made eye contact.

The sound of her name being called caused the redhead to stop in her tracks and turn to see Sonya hurrying to catch up with her. The blonde stopped in front of her, hesitating to speak and rubbing her arm in a way that reminded Kira of a tentative schoolgirl, which was ironic considering Sonya's personality.

"Need something, General Blade?" Kira asked, pulling her cloak tighter around her body and crossing her arms. For unknown reasons, she kept feeling cold at the most random of times. Maybe emotions had something to do with it, she figured.

Sonya gave a wan smile."Actually, I was on my way to visit Cassie. Then I spotted you and-"

"I wanted to check on Kevin." Kira explained, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I figured that part out." Sonya said."I just wanted to say 'thank you'." At Kira's raising of the eyebrows, she clarified,"Back at the Black Dragon base, I came close to losing it. I would've attacked Kano and put all four of us at risk if you hadn't knocked some sense into me."

"I...see." Kira uncrossed her arms, unsure what the proper response was. Eventually, she shrugged."I was just following orders."

Sonya lifted her chin."I did a bit of research into your past and...well, I found a few things I didn't expect to find."

Kira's eyes narrowed."If you're referring to my parents selling me into slavery when I was nine, please come out and say it." She said bluntly."I don't like to linger in the past. It's a waste of energy, especially since we currently have more important issues."

"You're right." Sonya sighed."I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it. I can imagine that it brings bad-"

Kira chuckled bitterly."Recent events have already done that, thank you very much." Her expression softened."I'll be honest, General Blade, you're far from mother of the year, but you're not the world's worst mother either. In spite of all your failures, you still love your daughter to the point that you'd die if it meant keeping her safe. That is more than can said for my parents or Kano."

"Cassie told me Kano didn't even view Kevin as a person." Sonya said as they walked together to the infirmary."Then Jacqui and Takeda showed me the notes Kevin wrote discussing his past. That poor kid lost everything and the only thing keeping him from giving up on life completely is revenge."

"At least he knows what love is." Kira said, uncertain what compelled her to say this."His mother loved him, refused to get an abortion or give him up for adoption, even sacrificed her life to save him. He can remember that woman and understand love. So can your daughter. They're young adults barely into their twenties while I'm in my early forties and don't know what love is." She stopped walking, causing Sonya to stop too."Getting abused, sold, raped...it's like having your soul torn out. Assuming I ever had one, that is. After I was sold, everything I did was **planned**. I **planned** to get on my slaver's good side, I **planned** to become his favorite, I **planned** to make him suffer as I murdered him, I **planned** to kill my parents for selling their only child into slavery. And I **enjoyed** it. I **enjoyed** hearing their agonized cries whilst I killed them, I **enjoyed** getting payback on them for putting me through hell. You heard what Tasia said. She told me I wasn't a psychopath, yet I disagree. I **planned** and **enjoyed** three murders. They felt **good** and **easy**. If that doesn't make me as twisted and sadistic as Tasia and Kano-"

"Kira." Sonya interrupted firmly."While you did do horrible things as a Black Dragon, what you did to your parents and slaver was justifiable homicide in my opinion. You didn't end their lives out of sadism, but revenge. You're not a monster, just someone who's been through a lot, is struggling to find her place in the world, and wants to do better. Different as the two of us may be, I can somewhat relate to your feelings. Just do me favor by not telling anyone about this conversation. Johnny wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

Smiling, Kira inclined her head."My lips are sealed."

"There's another topic I wanted to discuss." Sonya said, nervous again. Kira gestured for her to speak."After this is over, where do you plan to go? More importantly, what do you plan to do?"

"I..." Kira trailed off, shrugging. In truth, she hadn't thought of the aftermath of the war."I haven't planned that far head. Why do you ask?"

"I'd like to offer you a position with Special Forces. Before you argue that your crimes should prevent me from even thinking of this, let me remind you that Kabal managed to use his connections and pull strings in order to work with the NYPD. I'm willing give you the same benefit."

"What help can I possibly be to Special Forces? Kabal already told you all the Black Dragon's old secrets. If you're looking for a snitch-"

Sonya shook her head, placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder."You misunderstood. Let me elaborate."

"I'm listening."

"For the past few months, I've been working on creating a new task force. Whereas Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Jin's team's job is related to the realms, the team I'm trying to form will be specifically focused on human trafficking and sex crimes. I'd like to offer you the position of leader. Maybe helping other people who went through the same thing as you did might prove...helpful, I guess?"

Closing her eyes, Kira sniggered."You have a penchant for surprising me, General Blade. As for your offer, it's...very generous. I need some time to ponder this before I give you an answer."

Sonya nodded."Take all the time you need."

The two women continued their trek to the infirmary in silence. Johnny was already there, sitting at a slumbering Cassie's bedside. Sonya joined him. Kira supposed she shouldn't be surprised that Kevin was awake. The poor kid probably suffered from nightmares that made a good night sleep impossible. His eyes gazed blankly at the ceiling, flickering in her direction when he noticed her approaching him.

"Don't mind me." Kira said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed."I just came to check on you."

Sitting up, Kevin grabbed a notepad and pen and began to write something down before showing it to her.'You're Kira, right?'

"Yes." She nodded."Blame my parents for their interesting naming process." She joked.

Kevin covered his smile with his hand and wrote something else.'I wanted to talk to you, actually.'

"Oh?" Today was simply full surprises for her, wasn't it? "What's on your mind?"

'How do you know my mother?' She should have seen that question coming. Kevin no doubt noticed the way Kira and Kano spoke of his mother and put two and two together that Kira was somehow connected to Nell. Kevin's question was inevitable.

Knowing she had to be honest, Kira told the boy what he wished to know."I'm sure you've figured out that I used to be a part of your father's criminal organization."

'You said you were on the run for almost twenty years. I'm less than a month from my twentieth birthday. I don't need to be a math genius, which I am, to realize what that means.'

"Smart kid." She said, chuckling."Listen, you deserve the truth, but I think you should be having this conversation with Kabal."

'I remember that name. Kano said you were Kabal's pet pupil.'

"Kabal was my mentor who recruited me into the Black Dragon Clan long ago. He's also your stepfather."

Kevin's eyes widened and he shook his head in incredulity.

"Your mother did not tell you she was married." Kira stated."Well, technically, she was a widow and with her being dead and Kabal alive, it's now the other way around." She touched Kevin's arm to console him."This isn't going to be pleasant to hear, yet you asked for the truth so I'll tell you. Your mother - Nell - was targeted by Kano out of a desire for revenge against Kabal. The reason for this was Kabal left the Black Dragon Clan a couple years before I did. Kano desired payback. He came up with a plan in which Kabal would be disfigured and his partner killed in the line of duty. Kano ordered an ally to fulfill those two parts of the plan for him. The disfiguring part worked to perfection whilst the partner dying part failed miserably. Kano captured Kabal and tried to convince him to rejoin the Black Dragon. That part failed miserably too. Kabal died defending Earthrealm...should I stop? Because you look like you're two seconds away from passing out."

At this point, Kevin had turned pale, his jaw had dropped, and his eyes were wide as saucers as he struggled to process everything Kira said. He took a deep breath and gestured for Kira to pick up where she left off.

"Okay. If that's what you want. I'm certain you recall the whole revenant revival thing we witnessed at the Sky Temple. Kabal and his partner were among those revenants. But you're curious about your mother so let's return to that. Your mother was visiting Kabal's grave when Kano kidnapped her. He planned to create a sex slave out of her. I helped her escape and went into hiding to avoid paying for my betrayal. No one realized she was pregnant with you at the time. You can guess the rest of the story."

Kevin, having lost his grip on the pen and notepad, retrieved the items and slowly wrote a reply.'Can I talk to him? Kabal, I mean.'

"He's leaving soon for the tournament, though he should be able to talk to you briefly before he leaves. I think you two should meet."

Kevin swallowed thickly and nodded in agreement.'One more thing.'

"What?"

'I saw you fighting the other day, how you beat Tasia and Jarek. Once I'm better, I want you to train me, teach me to fight like that.'

Stupefied by his request, Kira leaned back."Me? Why?"

'Why not you?'

"Kid, I'm just a survivor, not a master kombatant. I was taught things a child should never be taught when I was slightly younger than you. Kabal also taught me a lot about fighting. He is much more suited to train you than me."

'You said Kabal won't be here for awhile, so how can he train me?'

"By the time he returns, your health will have improved enough for that to be possible."

'You called yourself a survivor. Kano called himself that too and I like to consider myself a survivor as well, albeit a weak one.'

"You're not weak. You've suffered a lot. Everyone suffers. Some more than most."

'You still haven't answered my question. Yes or no? Will you train me once I'm heathy. If you say no, I'll annoy you until you say yes.'

Kira snorted."Aren't you persistent?" Kevin smiled."Fine. Let's make a few things clear first; no training until you are completely healthy and by that I mean your injuries have fully healed, you've gained enough weight to no longer resemble a skeleton, your mental wounds are mostly taken care of, and last but not least, you do **everything** I tell you. No questions asked or else I change my mind immediately. Understood?" Kevin nodded vigorously."Good. Get some rest. We'll talk later." She left without another word, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into by fulfilling Kevin's wish.

Kira could not have reached her quarters fast enough. Removing her cloak and carelessly tossing it aside with a sigh, she tiredly slogged to the bed. She was about to fall onto the mattress when footsteps sounded behind her. Instantly, she reached for a dagger, but the intruder was quicker. Before she could react, the dagger was kicked out of her grasp, a hand slammed over her mouth, and a machete pressed against her throat.

"Don't move." The intruder whispered in her ear. Kira's eyes widened as she recognized whom the voice belonged to.

Kobra.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - Don't get your hopes up. As for the other stuff you asked about...sorry no spoilers._

 _airnaruto45 - Considering the new timeline is a bloody mess compared to the original, yes I do._

 _Determined Savior - Sub-Zero and Frost are too injured. The former just woke up from a coma while the latter can't even laugh without feeling pain due to a minor concussion, cracked ribs, and a broken arm. Triborg will show up soon enough. Only the future will tell what I have in store for Chameleon._

 _Francisco Devilman Warrior - My thoughts exactly. If they weren't such lazy cowards, things wouldn't be so hellish._

 _Guests - *Shrugs mischievously* You know how evil I am._

 _Next up: Chapter 66:Kobra_


	67. Chapter 66:Kobra

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Enemies are often former or potential friends who have been denied - or think that they have been denied - something."  
― Idries Shah, Reflections

 **Chapter 66:Kobra**

* * *

"Don't even think about it."

The words were uttered in a threatening whisper by the blonde to the redhead, who'd been stealthily reaching for her dagger. His machete remained pressed against her throat and his hand covered her mouth in case she screamed. Maintaining his grip on her mouth, he briefly lowered the hand holding the machete to take the dagger and toss it aside. Quickly, the machete returned to its original place at Kira's throat. Even if she didn't move a muscle, she was definitely planning something; there were few times Kira **wasn't** planning something, actually. That was who she was: a planner.

Looking at Kira now, Kobra realized she'd changed in many ways, but retained certain traits. Her blood red hair, once tied in pigtails, was held in a ponytail, her green eyes were as hard to read as ever, and her complexion still made her resemble the very picture of innocence, though she was not innocent. No Black Dragon could be considered innocent.

Yet for all that her appearance was unchanged, her personality was a different story. The Kira he'd known was cold-blooded, blunt, and loyal to the clan. This Kira hadn't lost her pragmatism, but was sympathetic, remorseful, and a traitor. Kobra would never forget how she betrayed them by helping Kabal's wife escape and asked him to come with her when she fled. He called her an idiot for thinking he'd go with her. He hated her betrayal, hated that Kabal meant more to her, hated her ability to feel empathy toward Nell, hated her having the nerve to show her face again. What he hated the most was that as much as he hated her actions, he didn't hate **her**.

Coming here was not the best idea, but he needed to see her. Kabal would kill him for daring to come near his precious pet pupil whom Kobra and the others wondered might be more than a student to him. Tasia would be furious at Kobra for visiting the traitorous bitch responsible for the loss of her hands. Kano would be pissed off too. Tremor would pity him. Jarek...well, Kobra was still getting to know him, but he figured Jarek's closeness with Tasia might convince him to agree with the dark-haired woman. Which was why he didn't tell anyone he was doing this.

Getting to Outworld was easy thanks to Shang Tsung sending him here. All Kobra had to do was contact the sorcerer via walkie talkie when he was ready to leave. Shang Tsung promised to keep this late night (or early morning due to it being an hour prior to sunrise) "excursion" a secret. That being said, Kobra felt confident that he had nothing to worry about at the moment.

"Now." He said, loosening his grip."I'm going to release you, you're going to turn around very slowly, and put your hands behind your head. Understand?" She nodded."Good." He released her. She twisted around and placed both hands behind her head. Her narrowed eyes, pursed lips, and tilted head conveyed carefulness and distrust. That was Kira for you; always careful, always planning...

"You know you can't beat me, Kobra." She said, her tone a mix of sweet and contemptuous. Not uncommon was it for her to address him like this. He **almost** missed their chats. He doubted she felt the same. Then again, did she ever?

"And," She went on,", you won't hurt me. If you wanted me dead, you would have killed me by now."

Kobra smiled mirthlessly."And if you wanted me dead," He retorted in a tone matching hers,"You would have delivered a reverse headbutt, flipped me over your shoulder, retrieved your daggers, and plunged them into my eyes." He stepped forward, using the tip of the machete to tilt her chin up."You also could've kicked this blade out of my hand and finished me in an instant." His smile grew at the frown that marred her darkly attractive features in response to his statement.

"Why are you here?" She asked through gritted teeth, venom surrounding each syllable.

Kobra chuckled, pleased that he had managed to get under her skin like she used to get under **his**."Seems the shoe is on the other foot now, huh, Kira?"

"Look at you." Venom and sweetness mixed together as she copied his mirthless smile."I didn't think you were capable of using fancy phrases."

"I do miss our chats." Kobra said sarcastically.

Kira scoffed."You mean our **spats** , during which you attemped to put your hands on my ass, called me salacious nicknames, and remarked that you wished I was a sex partner to you like Tasia is to Kano and possibly Jarek. I responded by beating the shit out of you whenever we sparred. It took us months to grow on each other, but even then our spats did not stop. Tasia would joke that we should get a room while Kabal smacked you upside the head and ordered you to watch your mouth. He deeply regrets recruiting you."

"But not you." Kobra said venomously."You were his favorite, his precious pet pupil, his-"

"I was not his whore." Kira snapped."Tasia thought you and Kabal rejected me. She's wrong. Nothing happened between me and Kabal **or** between you and me for that matter. Being a sex slave for eight years tends to discourage one from jumping into bed with anybody. Kabal was the first not to judge me based on gender or looks. He chose me because I'm smart, brave, and skilled whereas you're merely a thug we freed from a cop car escorting you to jail. Kabal recruited you because you're good at killing and Kano appreciated the fact that you enjoyed murder like it's some kind of game you played in your childhood."

"Spare me the morality speech, Kira." He spat."You killed plenty of people **before** **and after** you joined the Black Dragon."

"You're right. Except I didn't kill for the sake of killing. I won't lie that I killed and hurt several innocent people while I was a Black Dragon. My previous victims, however, deserved to die. I killed my parents and my slaver for revenge. The enjoyment I experienced whilst committing those murders is simply a side benefit. The same applies for those terrorists in Afghanistan whom I sold weapons to until they discovered my gender. I killed them to save myself from being raped and murdered. My main motives for those murders were revenge and survival, not a childish desire to take a life." She let out a chuckle."Did Tasia tell you what she said to me? Right before I amputated her hands with her own weapons and told her she was wrong to say I'd gone soft, that is?"

Grunting, he nodded."She won't shut up about it. She said you and Kabal weren't pscychopaths like the rest of us and has been describing in great detail how she plans to chain you up in Kano's torture room and torture you until you beg for death."

"I'm a tough nut to crack, so she'll be disappointed. Whereas most children and teenagers spend their preadolescence and adolescence worrying about crushes, prom, and birthday parties, I spent those years being beaten, insulted, raped, and trained to kill via excruciating methods. Nothing can break me. I'm unbreakable."

"You just love using fancy words and speeches, don't you?"

"And you never were eloquent."

"I don't even know what that means."

"Exactly." She said wryly, rolling her eyes.

"Watch your mouth." He growled, his temper rising. She always knew how to push his buttons. A part of him hated it. Another part enjoyed it.

Undaunted, she continued."You saddened/angered me the last time I saw you. You didn't surprise me, though. I partially expected such from you. Do you want to know the most ironic thing about our last conversation?"

"What?" He asked brusquely.

"You said I was an idiot for thinking you'd go with me. That is precisely what I said to Kabal when he asked me to go with him as he left the clan. I guess karma decided to make me feel what Kabal felt that day." Although her stony countenance did not falter, a single tear ran down her cheek."I'll reiterate what I stated earlier and if you don't know what 'reiterate' means, allow me to define the term for you: to reiterate means to say something repeatedly. Not that your brain will remember that definition, but try not to forget it within five seconds like you do everything else. Back to the point, nothing happened between me and Kabal. He was... **is** like a father to me. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe there was a part of me that cared about you or was starting to, but it wasn't enough to make me feel an ounce of grief upon learning of your death at Erron Black's hands. I grieved for Kabal, kept his and Nell's engagement rings, the latter of which Nell herself gave to me after I aided in her escape, but not you. I took care of those rings and went into hiding for nearly twenty years, betrayed and abandoned the Black Dragon Clan, saved another from suffering the same abuse I did as a slave, out of respect for my mentor and **empathy**. I'm not a psychopath nor a saint. I'm **me** and you better damn believe that I don't regret anything I've done since quitting that stupid criminal club whose members nowadays serve as mere lackeys to tyrants." Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile."Or in this case, a would-be tyrant." Her smile faltered."You never did answer my question: why are you here?"

"Personally, I think it's because he has a death wish." The voice was calm, blunt, and disdainful. Kira's sardonicism was replaced by amusement when she spotted the source of the voice, or rather, Kobra's reaction to the speaker's identity. Kobra could recognize that voice anywhere; he realized before he glanced over his shoulder that Kabal was standing in the doorway with his hookswords drawn and eyes narrowed beneath his mask. Stryker stood behind the masked man, his gun aimed at the blonde's head. Kobra cursed under his breath; he hadn't thought this would happen.

"I can see why you called him a dumbass, Kabal." Stryker said, not lowering his guard.

Kabal snorted."He never was much of a thinker. Then again, he isn't a thinker at all." He flicked his head at Kira."Kira, you alright?"

"I'm fine." Kira replied. Taking advantage of Kobra's distracted state, she kicked the machete out of his hand. Pressing a hand to her mouth as he whipped around to face her, she lowered her palm and blew on it. Even though Kobra easily recognized the move, he couldn't react in time to dodge it, grunting as purple mist blinded him. As he rubbed his eyes, she sent him flying into the wall with a hopping back kick and snatched her daggers from the floor. Kobra yelped as his back hit the wall. He reached for his walkie talkie, only for Stryker to literally shoot the device from his grasp and ensure its destruction with a second swift shot.

"Fuck!" Kobra hissed, slamming a fist against the floor.

"I don't know why you came here, Kobra." Kira said, shaking her head."But I do know that you made a mistake doing so."

"When **doesn't** he make mistakes?" Kabal jeered. He took a protective stance in front of the redhead, silently daring Kobra to even think of approaching her. Kira simply stood still, clutching her daggers. Kabal sent her a concerned glance which she ignored.

"Hands up." Stryker said to Kobra."Or I put a bullet in your brain. If Black can do it, so can I."

Kobra laughed in spite of himself."I don't take kindly to cops." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than he tackled Stryker, knocking his gun away. Stryker punched him in the face, stunning him long enough for Kabal to grab his arm and fling him across the room. Kobra screamed when he collided with a table. Approaching his ex-student, Kabal used his hookswords to grab him then spun the hookswords as well as Kobra and slammed him into the floor.

Kobra rolled to avoid Stryker's gunfire, hurried to his feet, slid forward, and performed an axe kick that caused Kabal to bounce off the ground. Kira threw a dagger at Kobra, who dodged the weapon. Cursing, Kira crouched down to fire a purple projectile that struck him in the chest and brought him to his knees. Kabal head butted him, his mask adding to the force of the attack, and drove a fist into his gut to wind him. Kabal moved aside to allow Kira to charge in and strike Kobra with a rising knee to the chin. A backhand knocked the blonde down and a knee digging into his ribcage kept him pinned.

Kira raised her dagger to finish him."I'm sorry, Kobra." She mumbled.

A flaming skull came out of nowhere, striking Kira in the face. She screamed and clutched her cheek, dropping the dagger. Kobra kicked her into a nightstand. Kabal went to aid her, yelling at his partner to shoot. Stryker didn't need to be told twice; the ex-revenant opened fire on Kobra. The newly resurrected man barely managed to avoid the bullets. Rapid footsteps and shouts echoed down the hall as their allies rushed to see what the commotion was about. Stryker ran out of ammo. Kobra prepared to tackle him again, but Stryker was ready this time; drawing a baton, he threw it at Kobra, whose nose had the misfortunate of introducing itself to the weapon.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Erron Black drawled from where he stood with several guards behind him. The cowboy had both guns aimed at Kobra. He smiled beneath his mask at the sight of his old target."Killin' you again will be a pleasure."

"Not today, I fear." Shang Tsung appeared out of thin air.

Three flaming skulls emerged from the ground and flew at Kabal, Stryker, and Black. The guards ran straight toward the sorcerer. Shang Tsung teleported to reappear beside Kobra, whom he grabbed while opening a portal and shoved into said portal then leapt inside himself seconds before it closed and a guard's spear impaled the spot where his head was a moment ago.

Kobra emitted a grunt as he landed face first on the floor of the meeting room in their base of operations at Seido. Shang Tsung landed gracefully on his feet, yanked Kobra up by his hair, and forced him to come face to face with Kano. The cyber-eyed mercenary's arms were crossed, his non-mechanical eye was narrowed, and his foot tapped repeatedly as if he were awaiting an explanation. Behind Kano, Tasia seemed equally displeased whilst Tremor wore a look of pity beneath his mask. Jarek stood next to Tasia, one hand resting on the woman's shoulder.

"I warned him against this foolish course of action." Shang Tsung told Kano."But he insisted. I remained hidden in case something went wrong, which unsurprisingly it did." He scowled at Kobra."I revived you, agreed to grant this idiotic request of yours, and saved your life. I have done you three favors. Do not expect a fourth." He sent Kano a miffed look and exited the room, saying that he needed to speak with Noob Saibot. The moment the door closed behind the stealer of souls, Kano threw his hands up and started pacing in vexation.

"The fuck were you thinking, Kobra?!" Kano exclaimed. He lowered his voice when Tremor reminded him of the importance of being quiet. The last thing they wanted was to increase Raiden's displeasure by attracting unwanted attention.

Kano rubbed his temples."We're already on thin ice with Raiden after losing the Cage brat. We're lucky Shang Tsung promised to keep this a secret. And if that ain't bad enough, we're on such thin ice with Raiden that the two Oni of all people are fucking above us. The worst thing isn't even that, it's the fact that Daegon is Raiden's new, personally chosen, champion. Mavado loves rubbing it in my face. Those damn Red Dragons are higher in rank than us. We gotta figure out a way to earn back Raiden's favor if we wanna avoid getting zapped like everybody else who's pissed him off."

"Hmph." Tremor grunted."What interests me is why Kobra chose to pursue this idiotic course of action."

"I'm with Tremor." Jarek said, nodding."What possessed you to visit that treacherous bitch?"

Tasia sneered."My thoughts exactly."

Kobra shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't think any reason besides that he just needed to see her. The why of it baffled him as much as it did his comrades.

Tasia scoffed."My god, Kobra." She shook her head."Are you still carrying a torch for her?" His silence was the only answer she required."Why am I not surprised?" Kano was prevented from intervening by Tasia shooting him a glance that wordlessly requested him to let her take care of this situation. Kano nodded in approval of her request.

Tasia placed her hands on Kobra's shoulders. He winced at how painfully and tightly the artificial limbs squeezed his shoulders. She did not loosen her grip and spoke in a firm tone of voice."Look at me, Kobra." He obeyed."Do you feel those hands of mine? The reason they're like this is because Kira amputated my real hands. I'll never be able to feel or touch anything ever again because of **her**. Raiden is forcing me to wear these prosthetics as punishment for failing him and even if he did order Daegon to restore my hands, I'd rather die than live with the knowledge that the Red Dragon helped me. I'm going to suffer mentally and physically for the rest of my life because of Kira. She didn't care one wit for you. Everything was always about Kabal for her. She's his little whore."

"She said nothing happened between them." Kobra muttered, not sure if he believed what he was saying.

"And you believe her?" Tasia demanded, rolling her eyes."Of course she'd say that! She's lying through her teeth. She's loyal to Kabal and will do anything he tells her to. If he tells her to kill, she'll kill. If he tells her to run, she'll run. If he tells her to do him a certain favor, she'll do it." It was clear that Tasia believed her own words. Kobra was inclined to agree. Everyone had suspected Kira of being more than a student to Kabal despite the lack of evidence."She didn't free Nell out of empathy; she did it because it's Kabal would have wanted her to do. She's his personal tramp. They're traitors and they deserve to die slowly and excruciatingly for what they've done."

"Ahem."

'Crap!' was the word that entered all five Black Dragons' minds at the sound of a certain someone clearing their throat. They'd been so engrossed in conversation that they failed to notice Raiden and Hotaru palming the door open whilst in the middle of their own discussion. The Seidan's eyebrows rose and the deity's eyes narrowed in suspicion of their presence here.

"Is something wrong?" Raiden asked, head tilted and arms crossed.

"Uh no, sir!" Kano said nervously as Jarek quickly pulled Tasia away from Kobra and Tremor nodded vigorously in agreement with Kano."We were just, uh, discussing how to make it up to you after losing our hostage. Ain't that right, everyone?" They nodded.

Raiden gave a slow, wide smile."I see." He beckoned to the door."Please continue your discussion elsewhere then. Hotaru and I have things we must discuss in private regarding the tournament."

"You got it, boss!" Kano said, feigning cheerfulness.

With the speed of a pack of cheetahs, the five Black Dragons fled the room, forcing Raiden and Hotaru to step to the side to avoid being bumped into. The duo exchanged a glance, shrugged, went inside, and closed the door behind them. The Black Dragons did not stop running until they reached Kano's quarters, nearly running over Nitara and D'Vorah in the process. Luckily, the two women flew up in time to avoid being run over and yelled at the retreating group to watch where they were going. Once inside Kano's room, they locked the door and took a moment to catch their breath.

"That was **too** close." Jarek said then scowled and pointed at Kobra."And it's **your** fault!"

Kobra gave him the finger.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - What can I say? Kevin is stubborn, one of my favorite traits of his. He gets it from Nell. :)_

 _WelcomeToMKX - I can see that happening, but Liu Kang won't be doing that as you've noticed I haven't had him judge Raiden. In his chapter, he thinks about how Raiden is as much a monster as (if not more than) he himself was as a revenant, snaps at Kai when he tries to console him by saying what he did as a revenant doesn't compare to Raiden's atrocities, and says in Jax's chapter that he has no right to judge Raiden because his crimes are no less horrifying than Raiden's, which Kitana and Kung Lao agree on. So while he does still resent Raiden for killing him, he's not judging him for endangering Earthrealm._

 _YellowCash - You're right. The internet is a place where we should be able to express our opinions without being called "fanboys/fangirls" (terms which I avoid). I know you're not lecturing me, but this argument started because of my unprofessionalism and I don't enjoy seeing people argue as a result so please everyone let's just agree that we all have our own opinions/likes/dislikes and move on like adults. I can't stand it when people say "horror movie losers" either. So what? They like scary movies. Why is that bad? I myself despite not watching horror films/TV shows, love a good scare from literature/video games. This isn't directed at you, YellowCash, so much as it's directed at the haters like your speech was and I assure you your words were not a pointless comment. You make many good points and I appreciate your honesty._

 _madmaxHojo36 - I've got the official outline for the tournament which I'm NOT rewriting again. I'm looking forward to practicing writing more fight scenes._

 _NeedsANewPenname - We discussed most of the stuff you mentioned in PMs, but I wanted to say I'm glad you like my portrayal of the Red Dragon, especially since a lot of people don't like them and it's sad because they always seemed more interesting than the Black Dragons who at the end of the day if you ask me are just thugs. Clever and ruthless thugs, I'll admit, but still thugs. I always liked the Red Dragon's discipline and absolutely love writing Mavado and Daegon. The way I see it, where Kano will shrug his shoulders if an injured teammate calls for help and say,"Sorry, men. Every man for himself." and flee, Daegon, for all his flaws, won't abandon his men unless he has no other choice and genuinely values them. Speaking of Kano,_ _how funny is the mental image of him and his pals running away from Raiden like frightened children?_

 _Determined Savior - Or as the developers called him before he got his official name: Ben. I've n_ _ever been a fan of Kobra, but I adore Kira and like to explore her odd relationship with him. That being said, expect more interactions between those two as well as Kabal._

 _Cowabungoo - I honestly have no idea. XD_

 _kingofswing - Not too good given the events of this chapter and seeing as Lady Luck tends to be torn between being good and bad, only time will tell._

 _Next up: Chapter 67:Kabal II_


	68. Chapter 67:Kabal II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Whoever said that loss gets easier with time was a liar. Here's what really happens: The spaces between the times you miss them grow longer. Then, when you do remember to miss them again, it's still with a stabbing pain to the heart. And you have guilt. Guilt because it's been too long since you missed them last."  
— Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (The 13th Sign)

 **Chapter 67:Kabal II**

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"He asked you to train him?"

This was the question Kabal posed to Kira as he carefully washed the burn on her cheek, courtesy of a flaming skull to the face from Shang Tsung. Stryker leaned against a wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. The trio was in a private section of the infirmary while the servants prepared a new bedchamber for Kira after her old quarters were ruined by the fight that occurred during Kobra's 'visit'. Security was further tightened. Although Kabal doubted it would lessen their chances of being attacked, he opted not to voice that thought.

Kabal wasn't sure how to react to Kobra's return. He'd never cared for the man and recruited him solely for his killing talent. He still regretted that decision. The amount of times he'd smacked Kobra upside the head for disrespecting Kira (after the redhead kicked the blonde's ass in sparring matches) was uncountable. Kano adored the punk and praised Kabal for his choice. Kira hadn't complained nor commended him. She was as difficult to read as Kabal himself. She spent more time with him than the others; he supposed he shouldn't be surprised they assumed something happened between them. Well, they could assume all they wished. The mere idea of sex discomforted Kira and Kabal would not stoop so low as to take advantage of her. She was a student to him at the least, a daughter to him at the most.

Kevin. That was his stepson's name. The boy was Kano's offspring as well as Nell's. In his grief, Kabal avoided meeting the boy, not wanting to see his resemblance to the woman he loved or the man responsible for his disfigurement. Kira told him that Kevin had his mother's eyes. Kabal wasn't certain if this comforted him or increased his distress. He wanted to hate the boy for his shared blood with Kano, but how could he? Not only was this the son of his beloved, but also a fellow victim of Kano's sadism. The hateful part of him desired to eliminate Kano's progeny, but the kind part wished to console him and promise that no one would hurt him again. The latter was what Nell would've wanted, yet that didn't make things any easier.

"Yes." Kira replied, wincing when he applied lidocaine to her wound."Ow, that stings!" She hissed, slapping his hand away. He grasped her wrist, pulled it down, and continued his task.

"You've had worse." He said dryly."Hold still. I'm almost done. What else did he say?"

"Not much. He asked how I knew his mother, so I explained the circumstances surrounding his...conception." She shifted uncomfortably."Did you read his file?"

"General Blade gave it to me." Kabal said, nodding."A drunk driver killed Nell. Kevin was put through several foster homes until he ran away at sixteen, aware of his status as a child of rape but not knowing his father's identity. Kano found him a few years later, told him the truth, kidnapped him, and tortured him for days."

"You need to talk to him." Stryker spoke for the first time."You can't avoid him forever."

"Especially since he really wants to meet you." Kira added.

"It's what Nell would want." Stryker said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Kabal's body tensed. He paused in the process of covering Kira's injury with a bandage. His jaw clenched."I know." He said stonily then went back to bandaging the woman's cheek. Upon finishing the task, he turned around, leaned against the table, crossed his arm over his chest, and sighed."You agreed to train to him, Kira?"

"Reluctantly." She said."I made it clear there would be no training until he is completely healthy, meaning his injuries are fully healed, he has gained enough weight to no longer resemble a skeleton, and his mental trauma has been mostly take care of. I also stated that he had to do everything I tell him or I change my mind immediately." She folded her hands in her lap, frowning."Kabal, the stuff I learned-"

"Has kept you alive." He stated."The kid wants to learn how to fight so he can get revenge on Kano. He's got a bone to pick with that piece of shit too. We have no right to deny him that. But if he's gonna learn, he'll do it the hard way. Kira, your slaver taught you Xeng Yi and you mentioned learning Kenpo during your time in Asia on the run. Train him in both of those fighting styles. Once he's mastered them," He turned to Stryker,", you show him how to use a gun. I don't know how long I'll be away at the tournament. I wanna say a month, but it could shorter or longer. Regardless, both of you keep an eye on Kevin and help him however you can. Once he's recovered and mastered the two fighting styles and firearm use, he'll complete his training with me. I'll teach him the Black Dragon techniques as well as a bit of my Sun Bin and Goju Ryu moves."

Kabal knew before he looked at his former student and partner that they were glowering at one another. He rolled his eyes, unsurprised. Neither had hid their dislike of the other since their very first meeting.

"Alright." The disfigured man threw his hands up."Out with it."

"I don't trust him/her." They said in unison then glared at one another.

"Yeah, I gathered that much." Kabal said, snorting."Why don't you explain why? Ladies first." He gestured to Kira.

The redhead pursed her lips."Your partner is a weak link. His influence has made you go soft. Plus, he's a damn former revenant!"

"And now gentlemen." Kabal gestured to Stryker.

The ex-cop scowled."You've got enough unnecessary reminders of your dark past. Plus, she's a damn criminal!"

The duo was about to explode into a fight when Kabal lifted his hands and waited for them to be quiet. He cleared this throat."Both of your initial arguments make some sense. As for your second arguments... **are you fucking kidding me**?!" They jumped at his sudden shout.

Kabal pointed a finger at Kira."Maybe you haven't noticed, Kira, but I'm an ex-revenant too! Stryker helped me get over my past and is my best friend. He's also the one who introduced me to Nell. And you," He turned to Stryker,", seem to have forgotten that I'm a criminal too. Kira is like a daughter to me and if it wasn't for her, Nell would have been turned into a sex slave!" He then addressed both of them."I did horrible things as a Black Dragon **and** a revenant just like each of you did in those respective positions, yet you're not judging me for my crimes. You pulled those second arguments out of your asses at the last second! I wonder why? Is it because you're damn hypocrites?! Hmm?" They hung their heads in guilt.

Kabal rubbed his temples and took a deep breath to calm himself."Listen, you two are among the few people I care about who are still alive. If it wasn't for you, I'd lose my grip on sanity. Kira, you can empathize with me as a fellow ex-criminal and Stryker, you and I have been partners for years, so you understand how this revival thing is affecting me. We all have so much guilt and trauma threatening to tear us part unless we shut it down because if we don't, we'll leave ourselves vulnerable for Raiden and Kano. I'm not asking you two to hold hands and prance in the sunflower fields together; I'm asking you to put aside your differences for the greater good and if you can't do that, do it for me and Nell. She died saving Kevin's life and we owe it to her to take care of that boy. Agreed?" They nodded."Good. I'm gonna talk to Kevin and explain our arrangement. If he accepts, then he's sealed his own fate."

Seeing as it was two hours prior to sunrise and no one would be getting any sleep, Kotal Kahn decided to start preparations for their departure an hour earlier than the previously planned time. After ending his conversation with Kira and Stryker, Kabal went to discuss their arrangement with Kevin. Sure enough, the boy was awake and gazing at the ceiling with tired eyes. The sound of Kabal's footsteps alerted him to his presence. His eyes widened briefly as Kabal slid into the chair next to his bed. Kira was right; Kevin had Nell's eyes. Other than that, he looked like a younger version of Kano.

Grabbing a notepad and pen, Kevin sat up and wrote something down before showing it to his visitor.'Let me guess: Kabal?'

The ex-revenant nodded."Kira told-" He paused when Kevin put a finger to his lips. Even with the mask, Kabal could tell that Kevin noticed his puzzled expression. Kevin pointed at a slumbering Cassie and Kabal immediately understood. He nodded again and reached for the notepad, which Kevin handed to him.

Twenty-two years as a revenant didn't give him opportunities to practice his handwriting (not that it was ever neat to begin with) so naturally, his letters were far from easy to read, but hopefully neat enough to understand. If Kevin was anything like Nell, he would frown and shake his head in disapproval at Kabal's less than excellent penmanship, which is exactly what the boy did, though it turned into a blush when he read what Kabal had written: 'Oh, I see. You don't want to wake your girlfriend up. What a gentleman.'

Kevin wrote a response and practically shoved the notepad in Kabal's face while his own face reddened to the point that he resembled a tomato.'She is not my girlfriend!' Capital letters empathized how serious he was in that declaration.

Grinning, Kabal took the notepad and wrote,'Funny. I said the same thing to a mutual friend who introduced me to your mother after he witnessed us flirting and a year later, I ended up proposing to her.'

Kevin shifted at the mention of his mother.'She was your wife.'

Rather than write a reply, Kabal gave a nod."Yes." He whispered.

'And I'm the product of her rape at Kano's hands.' Kabal could not think of a proper answer to that statement. What could he say that hadn't already been said? Sorry? It's not your fault you're a child of rape? Kevin had likely heard those words a thousand times and was sick of people uttering them. Nothing Kabal said would lessen his pain.

Kevin curled up beneath his blanket and let a tear fall down his cheek. Kabal resisted the urge to wipe the tear away. Why did this boy have to be Kano's son? Why couldn't he be Kabal's instead? He and Nell had always wanted to start a family together. If Kevin were his son, he would have loved, cherished, and protected him with his life. That was what a true father would do. Kano was no true father; blood was all that connected the cyber-eyed mercenary to Kevin. Barring blood and physical similarities, they had nothing in common. Kevin was not a psychopath; he was a troubled soul who'd suffered and lost much over the years, and that was something Kabal understood. Tentatively, he laid a hand on his stepson's shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze. Kevin made no attempt to shrug him off.

"I miss her too, kid." Kabal said quietly. After a long period of silence, he recalled his reason for coming here and decided to change the subject, for both his and his stepson's sakes.

"Kira told me you asked her to train you, teach you how to fight." At the mention of Kira, Kevin looked up, his sadness weakening a bit. This encouraged Kabal to continue."If you're interested, I've got an offer for you." Kevin gestured to the notepad, not forgetting his worry of rousing Cassie.

Kabal wrote a paragraph explaining his offered arrangement. He gave Kevin all the time he needed to make his choice. This was not a decision to be made lightly, after all.

Slowly but surely, Kevin retrieved his pen and wrote his answer. Pure seriousness had overtaken his visage by the time he handed the notepad to Kabal so he could read his response.

'I accept your offer.'

"You sure?" Kabal asked, wanting to make certain the young man knew what he was getting himself into."There's no going back after you've said yes. It won't be easy. I can tell you that much."

'I'm sure.'

Kabal heaved a sigh."Alright. But if the training gets too difficult for you to handle, just remember this was your choice." Kevin nodded curtly, and Kabal stood up to leave."I guess I should leave you to rest then. You'll need it for-" He was stopped from leaving by Kevin catching his wrist and quickly writing one last note. Beneath his mask, Kabal's eyes widened and jaw dropped upon reading the note.

'I wish you were my father instead of Kano.' Was written in perfect handwriting.

Wan smiles found their ways onto Kabal and Kevin's faces as they looked at each other.

"Me too, kid." Kabal murmured, patting Kevin's arm."Me too."

* * *

 _I'm sure some of you have noticed by now that_ _I posted another story called A New Beginning which is a prequel to this story and a sequel to the MKX prequel comic so you haven't read the comics, you'll be very confused as to what's going on there and I don't want that. Please check it out and let me know what you think._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - It's a very painful lesson which I enjoy teaching them._

 _WelcomeToMKX - Oh I can_ _ **definitely**_ _imagine that._

 _Determined Savior - I love writing Kabal so I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

 _BrutusPrimas -_ _H_ _eavy emphasis on 'butt monkeys'. That's for sure._

 _YellowCash - No need to apologize for long comments. Once again, you make many good points and your honesty is appreciated._

 _Triplecombo - Of course I get the joke. I doubt the real Ken Masters would share our amusement, though._

 _Taja - I always worry my fight scenes aren't good, but you really helped boost my confidence with your review. I hope you enjoy the upcoming tournament._

 _KobraKira228 - My plans for the story have changed a lot since I started writing it over a year ago and I have several ideas which I'm trying to figure out if you know what I mean. I do indeed sometimes get inspirations from reviews._

 _Next up: Chapter 68:Havik_


	69. Chapter 68:Havik

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Chaos is more freedom; in fact, total freedom. But no meaning."  
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

 **Chapter 68:Havik**

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Chaos.

That was his purpose. The universe thrived on it. It occurred because people made the mistake of doing the same thing over and over again and expected different results each time. According to a famous Earthrealmer, that was the definition of insanity, though Havik noticed most humans learned that lesson from a fictional character whose name escaped him at the moment rather than a real person. In spite of his love for insanity, he found himself fighting the urge to roll his eyes at others' stupidity.

For years, Havik spread the message of chaos. Some accepted it, some rejected it. It wasn't until Quan Chi approached him in the aftermath of Shinnok's first defeat that he found a way to accomplish his mission. The sorcerer had offered him powerful Blood Magik in exchange for Shinnok's amulet. Havik agreed to the offer whilst planning to keep the amulet for his own use. To get the Blood Magik, Quan Chi deceived Nitara into believing that he knew where to find the orb whose destruction would free her realm from Outworld. She agreed to meet him, and was attacked and robbed of her Blood Magik, which the necromancer gave to Havik, who then tricked Reiko via a false prophecy saying his blood would reign. The moment the Chaosrealmer stopped the general from committing hara-kiri by giving him a taste of the Blood Code, his fate was sealed. Reiko had been a useful pawn, but a pawn nevertheless.

In hindsight, Quan Chi likely realized Havik would turn traitor and not fulfill his part of the plan. Sorcerers always had their own agendas. Shang Tsung, for example, had his own agenda, but Havik didn't know what it was. Did he want Shinnok's amulet? To aid in Raiden's victory so he could stab him in the back afterwards and steal the position of leadership for himself? Both? Or did he desire something else entirely? Whatever the case, he certainly had interesting ways of accomplishing his goals. Another thing about sorcerers: they always had their own agendas and unique methods of fulfilling them.

Reviving Mileena, Baraka, Mavado, Kobra, Reiko, Kia, Jataaka, Drahmin, and Moloch was an understandable choice. Mileena and Baraka's return brought the Tarkatans to Raiden's side. Mavado equaled his leader in intelligence and cunning. Reiko was a capable general. Kia and Jataaka reformed the Brotherhood of Shadows which had fallen after Quan Chi's death and Shinnok's defeat. Moloch, Drahmin, and Kobra added muscle to the team despite their minuscule intellects. What Havik could not initially determine was how he fit into this equation. Soon, he found an answer: to stir up chaos within Raiden's forces. It was hard enough keeping the peace between the Red and Black Dragon Clans; to do the same for Havik and Hotaru was nearly impossible. The chances of Shang Tsung not knowing this were nonexistent.

Whatever Shang Tsung's agenda, he was desperate to fulfill it. For what other reason than desperation would he resurrect Shao Kahn? Sure, it was probably enjoyable to watch his murderer serve as a puppet, but also dangerous. Powerful as Shang Tsung might be, his spell alone would wear off. Havik, Tanya, and Daegon agreed to add their own magik to ensure Shao Kahn didn't break free from his brainwashing. Although the demigod wasn't a sorcerer, he dabbled a bit and had enough power to help secure the spell. Tanya, as it turned out, had been learning black magik.

Though he was unsure of Tanya's opinion on Shao Kahn's revival, Havik suspected the rest of the ex-emperor's old allies/enemies were torn between joy at his state of slavery and ire at his return. It was sad that this man whom Havik admired as an unwitting agent of chaos was now a mere lackey. Oh well, he decided, if Shao Kahn truly was so weak, than let him rot in his mind-controlled condition.

Mileena went out of her way avoid the brainwashed man. As did Baraka, Tanya, Skarlet, Reiko, Goro, and D'Vorah. Once upon a time, they served this man. Needless to say, they were changed people without him; each had their own goals. Mileena might be an exception and by extension Baraka, but even they had to eventually comprehend that it was past time to move on. Havik didn't know how aware Shao Kahn was of current events. He could be devoid of free will like Quan Chi or be aware of his actions but lack control over them. Regardless, he would most likely never revert to his former self.

Havik discovered that, following the Blood Code, Raiden had informed Hotaru of his rival's death. This knowledge allowed Hotaru to conquer Chaosrealm, which had been left vulnerable sans its leader. The leader of the Seidan Guard showed mercy, killing the men, enslaving the women and children, and finally taking Chaosrealm's water. Even though the realms hadn't been merged, Orderrealm owned Chaosrealm.

In all honestly, Havik didn't care for his people so much as he cared about what they represented. Chaos couldn't be spread unless its enforcers preached its beautiful message. For Havik's goal to be fulfilled, his people had to be freed. Which is what brought him here...

As a Chaosrealmer, Havik enjoyed unpredictability, especially when it came to timing. He liked to alternate between lateness, earliness, and being on time. Today he came on time, as the person he was meeting didn't tolerate tardiness.

Leaning against the wall of an alleyway, Havik pulled his hood over his head and glanced at the rising sun. His "acquaintance" should arrive in two to three minutes. Sure enough, a cloaked person walked into the alleyway and lowered their hood, revealing the face of Darrius. The Resistance leader, as usual, wore his golden sunglasses, an accessory Havik wondered if he ever removed. Lowering his hood, Havik clasped forearms with the Seidan, whose eyes doubtless showed no emotion beneath his sunglasses.

Pulling his hand away, Darrius moved back until his back met a wall that he leaned against and crossed his arms."I got your message." He said."I must admit I'm surprised. In the past, I offered an alliance as well as my 'friendship'." He used his fingers to make air quotes."You rejected my offer, claiming you only formed alliances when you had to. When you suddenly vanished, we were shocked, but it wasn't until Raiden confirmed you were dead that Chaosrealm was conquered. A shame; had you agreed to my proposed alliance, I might have repelled the invasion."

"At the cost of your own men? I doubt your followers would have been eager to assist Chaosrealm. Rebel or not, Seidans hate me as much as Hotaru, if not more so."

Darrius gave an enigmatic smile."Depends on whom you ask." When he wasn't wearing a blank expression similar to Hotaru's, he was smiling enigmatically."Besides, the ends justify the means."

"You sound like Hotaru."

Darrius shrugged."He and I follow the same line of thinking, yet we pursue different goals. He seeks to oppress, I seek to free."

Havik snorted."I can never figure out if you care about your followers, or if you just don't like losing soldiers because your forces are weaker then. The reason I'm troubled by my kind's enslavement is because I need them to spread chaos."

Darrius's smile widened."I'm a complicated man."

"I hate complexity."

"Why am I not surprised to hear that from a Chaosrealmer?" Darrius laughed."Your kind thrives on simple chaos and Hotaru thrives on simple order. Both of you are fools, for the world is not simple. It is complex, and filled with complex individuals. There will never be complete order or complete chaos, at least not permanently. Order and chaos are two halves of the same whole. Earthreamers say,'if you want peace, go to war'."

"They say many things." Havik muttered, shaking his head."There's another thing I can never figure out about you."

"What?"

"Whenever you recite those fancy speeches, I can't tell if you mean anything you say or if you're an incredible actor."

The rebel shrugged again."Maybe it's both."

"Maybe." Havik sighed."But I didn't call you here to discuss morals and opinions."

"That's right. You seek an alliance." Darrius said, rubbing his chin."Well, you'll have to give me a reason to trust you. The Blood Code has earned you the contempt, to put it mildly, of several of my current allies. Hanzo Hasashi, Takeda Takahashi, and Shujinko in particular will be displeased to see you. It's true we're desperate for allies, but we need armies for the coming war and even if your people weren't enslaved, they're not organized and will make things worse for our otherwise organized troops. Frankly, I'm shocked you'd want to stop Raiden and Hotaru. War means chaos; isn't that your purpose?"

Havik grinned."If Raiden and Hotaru win, they'll establish permanent order. If they lose, however..."

Darrius's eyebrows rose."I don't intend to create anarchy. I intend to create a democracy and lessen Seido's oppression."

Havik scoffed."Look at Earthrealm. Their democracies lead to war/chaos."

"War results in peace." Darrius stated in a silkily smooth tone."War and peace are both temporary. War means chaos, but war must come to an end so peace may begin. Disorder requires energy to exist. Order is that energy. As disorder gathers its energy, it grows stronger and spreads like wildfire, but order extinguishes the flames. It is a cycle that cannot be stopped. You and Hotaru may deny it, but neither order nor chaos will ever be permanent."

"If Raiden and Hotaru win, that cycle will cease to exist and chaos will be forever ended." Havik said. Although arguing was his favorite pastime, he was disappointed by Darrius's refusal to lose his cool and/or raise his voice. Hotaru was good at hiding his emotions, but he did display them sometimes. Darrius, on the other hand, was a master of stoicism. Even his smile showed more mysteriousness than amusement. No wonder Hotaru considered him a worthy opponent.

Darrius was a puzzle, Havik realized, not too strict nor too chaotic. Some might argue that the same could be said for Dairou, but the mercenary embraced neutrality whereas the rebel leader embraced both order and chaos.

"War is chaos, but once war is over, peace takes its place. Circumstances decide how long peace lasts before war begins anew. Every individual is flawed and imperfect; we're all selfish, petty beings, regardless of whether we're mortal or immortal. War starts because people want power or have no choice but to fight. Normally, that depends on which side you're on. In the case of the Netherrealm War, Shinnok desired power and Earthrealm had no choice but to fight. In the case of my war with Hotaru, I desire power, but I'm also tired of the oppression my fellow Seidans endure. I'm an ambitious, unscrupulous man, yet I'm a visionary too. I love power as much as I love my realm."

"This cycle is ridiculous."

"How so?"

"Well, ridiculous isn't the right word. It's insane, actually. The same thing happens over and over again, yet everyone is content to let that happen under the false belief that eventually, everything will change. I could go on all day about the idiocy of that notion. Though given my love for insanity, I suppose I shouldn't complain."

"Idiotic or not, it's not a notion; it's fact. I've accepted it. So have my followers. A pity you and Hotaru can't/won't do the same." Darrius raised a hand to interrupt Havik as he was about to reply, waiting for him to nod to convey that he was listening."If Raiden and Hotaru win, rebellion shall continue. The riots will not cease, as they don't require my presence or interference to occur. **This Resistance** is not simply a group of people, **I** am not simply a person, **you and Hotaru** are not simply people. We are what we represent, and what we represent is freedom, chaos, and order. Those are ideas, and you cannot kill an idea." He clenched and unclenched his fist to empathize his seriousness."I am not attempting to end order and chaos, for that is an impossible task. The only way to stop those ideas from destroying us is to accept and embrace them. Only then will we truly be free."

"Do you practice your speeches, or do you improvise?" A familiar voice asked. Havik and Darrius looked up to see Dairou sitting atop a roof and grimacing at Darrius."I hate to interrupt this discussion," The mercenary said dryly,", but there are a few guards heading this way. You may wish to hide yourselves to avoid arrest." He extended a hand to them which Darrius took.

"I figured you wouldn't come alone." Havik said to the Seidan rebel.

The rebel leader snickered as he allowed Dairou to pull him onto the roof then helped him pull Havik up."I'm a wanted man, cleric." He said."Coming alone would be foolish to say the least. As would blindly trusting someone whose objective in life is to spread anarchy."

"And trusting a mercenary isn't equally foolish?" Havik retorted.

Dairou gestured for the duo to be quiet while the guards checked the alleyway. He waited for them to leave before fixing Havik with a stern look."I have other reasons for being here than money."

"Like babysitting the orphan girl?" Dairou's eyes went wide at the mention of Viviana. Havik looked at Darrius and asked,"I assume it was your idea to put the child in his care?"

"I hope for your sake that you stay away from her." Dairou said threateningly.

"She isn't your daughter, you know." Havik stated bluntly.

"Don't talk about my daughter." Dairou hissed through gritted teeth."Or my family in general for that matter."

Beneath the sunglasses, Havik noticed Darrius's eyes narrowing in response to Dairou's family being mentioned. How intriguing, he thought, and decided to store that piece of information away for later.

Darrius gave a yawn."As pleasant as this rendezvous has been," He drawled,"I'm afraid it must end." He tilted his head."Unless you have something to add?"

Havik sighed."Alright, rebel, what do you want? What can I do to convince you to form an alliance with me?"

Darrius pursed his lips and glanced at the sky."Here's my offer and if you don't like it, too bad." He removed his sunglasses so Havik could see the serious glint in his eyes."I'll free your people and realm, grant you your independence, but I want something in return. Once Chaosrealm and all Chaosrealmers are free and this war is over, your kind is to stay in Chaosrealm and leave everyone else alone. No more spreading chaos, no more traveling through other realms, you stay home and keep **your** chaos within **your** realm."

Havik scowled."Are you going to keep **your** order within Orderrealm?"

Darrius's eyes narrowed."Orderrealm is a nickname outsiders have given this realm. Very few to none at all know that its true name is **Seido**. We are not **Orderrealmers** , we are **Seidans**. When the Resistance takes control of Seido, everyone will finally remember our home's **true** name and our people's **true** name."

Dairou scoffed."Don't waste your breath, Darrius. It is obvious he has no intention of accepting your offer. Coming here was equally pointless to asking the Elder Gods for aid."

"Except **we** are not the ones requesting aid." Darrius stated, nodding at Havik." **He** is requesting **our** aid." His smile came back."A pity he isn't going to get it. Really, Havik? Is the mere thought of staying home and not spreading your insanity **that** bad?"

"You do remember you're talking to a Chaosrealmer, yes?" Dairou inquired wryly.

Darrius slapped his own forehead."Of course! I completely forgot. It's been nice speaking to you, Havik, but seeing as you've rejected my terms-"

"Chaos is not an idea like you claim it to be!" Havik growled."It is a religion and-"

Darrius chortled."Let me give you the definition of a religion. A religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. Chaos does not have a deity to worship. It's an idea you've convinced yourself is a religion. You can take your chaos and, as Earthrealmers enjoy saying, fuck yourself with it." The moment the words left his mouth, he opened his palm and released a blue projectile that hit Havik square in the face. As the cleric fell on his backside with a yelp, Dairou lifted his leg and blasted a three-pronged energy star that also hit Havik square in the face. The two Seidans rolled away as an outraged Havik spun his torso around and tried using his arms to strike them. A portal opened, and the duo hurried toward it.

"You'll regret this, Darrius!" Havik yelled. A baleful smirk overtook his visage."Dairou, I hope nothing happens to Viviana. After all, you wouldn't want to lose her like your daughter and the rest of your family."

"Don't talk about my family!" The mercenary was ready to attack the cleric, but Darrius grabbed his arm to restrain him and told him to ignore Havik's taunting. Dairou nodded curtly then jumped into the portal. Darrius sent Havik an icy glance, put his sunglasses back on, and entered the portal, which closed immediately afterwards.

Havik grunted."Alright, Darrius. You don't want to be friends anymore? Then I guess we'll be enemies instead." He rubbed his chin and smiled evilly."Everybody has a dirty little secret. Let's find out what **yours** is..."

* * *

 _You'd think it'd be easy writing a guy who's all about chaos. I had no problem writing Hotaru (a guy who's all about order), but I found Havik surprisingly difficult to write. In addition to that, I have to juggle two stories now: this one and A New Beginning (which is a prequel to this story and picks up where the comics left off) while trying to arrange my schedule in a way that allows me to update both stories at least once a week. God help me in that regard._

 _According to this story's TV Tropes page, Raiden, Hotaru, and Scorpion are an expy of Regime Superman, Sinestro, and Flash respectively, which I think is a good comparison. I feel Havik is an expy of Ares because Ares needs chaos to fuel his power and if Superman won and established order, his power would be lost. Havik's purpose is chaos and while he won't lose his powers if there is order, his purpose won't be fulfilled, which is why, like Ares did with Main Universe Wonder Woman, Havik is doing something similar with Darrius. But as this chapter shows, he is very different from Ares as well._

 _Also, I don't play Far Cry, but I'm aware of Vaas Montenegro's characterization and like others, love his definition of insanity speech_ _and borrowed quite a bit from it as I'm sure you've noticed,_ _so he's another character Havik is an expy of, which is why I gave a shout out to him and Albert Einstein in this chapter for their definitions of insanity._

 _I have to admit I love writing Darrius. We don't get much on him, Dairou, Hotaru, or Havik besides some basic facts. The way I see it, Darrius is the most realistic of the bunch. Hotaru and Havik simplemindedly embrace order and chaos, respectively, Dairou embraces_ _neutrality and thus doesn't give a damn for order or chaos, but Darrius embraces both order and chaos because he understands and accepts the reality of the world. The way he sees it, even if Hotaru and Raiden win, there'll still be rebellion because people will always fight for freedom and refuse to let themselves be oppressed, which is basically the point of his resistance and let's face it: he isn't wrong. It's the natural order (no pun intended) of things._ _I had fun writing the conversation between Havik and Darrius and look forward to further_ _exploring their characters. Hopefully, you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them._

 _I also gave a small shout out to the V for Vendetta film in case you didn't notice. I love that phrase: "You cannot kill an idea!" :)_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Guest, Determined Savior - Somebody has to step in as a father figure with Kano being the piece of shit he is._

 _MK54 - If they do retell Deadly Alliance, they'll need a new, well, **Deadly Alliance**. In my story it's Hotaru and Raiden. I've heard many theories about who the new evil ducould be, from Kitana/Liu Kang to Goro/Daegon. Everyone has their own opinion. It won't be a complete retelling of Deception and Deadly Alliance, but it will likely borrow elements of both games like MKX burrowed some elements from MK4. We'll just have to see what the future holds._

 _Deadpool's fan - Yeah, the sequence is kinda weird. Last chapter was heartwarming/tearjerker, this one was the exact opposite._

 _Triplecomb - Just wait until you see him in Papa Wolf mode._

 _Next up: Chapter 69:Darrius_


	70. Chapter 69:Darrius

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end."  
— Leon Trotsky (Their Morals and Ours)

 **Chapter 69:Darrius**

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A cycle.

That was what order and chaos were part of. An endless cycle of war and peace that Darrius learned to accept. Alas, Hotaru and Havik refused to believe this truth. Well, that was their problem. Nothing they did could change this simple fact of life. Permanent order or chaos was impossible. People would always rebel and fight for their freedom and bring chaos via war. Wars could last for as long as a century, but they would end. In Earthrealm, there had been a 200 year period of peace called the Pax Romana, which eventually ended. This served as further proof of why he was right and his enemies were wrong.

Darrius admitted he was a flawed man, but this did not sadden him. Every person was flawed. It was because of these flaws that war occurred. People were selfish, petty beings. A longing for power and freedom was what sparked conflict. Power corrupted anyone who had it; how far that corruption spread depended on whom was affected by it. Weak-willed men fell into the abyss. Strong-willed men clung to the edge and managed to keep themselves from falling.

The same applied to women. Gender meant nothing as an argument regarding strength of mind and/or body. Most of Darrius's best soldiers and spies were women. So were the majority of the members of the Seidan Senate and Seidan Guard. That was why Darrius couldn't understand the logic of those who believed women needed to be protected; if anything, men needed to be protected by and from women. He still had a scar on his back from when a female Seidan Guard defeated him in kombat. If not for the arrival of a fellow rebel, he wouldn't have survived the encounter.

Many might call Darrius a terrorist. Those on his side (the true patriots of Seido), saw him as a hero. An imperfect hero, but a hero nonetheless. He formed the Resistance because he wanted power and to put an end to the oppressive regime his realm endured. One day, he would lead the charge against the establishment. For the moment, he was content to wait, plan, and scheme.

Words were useful in persuading others to his side, but actions spoke louder than words. To think up a plot was one thing, to carry out said plot was another thing entirely.

Killing a man's family was a terrible crime. Did Darrius pity the souls whose lives he'd ordered to be cut short? Yes. Did he regret it? Not at all. The ends justified the means. To arrange the slaughter of a slumbering family was not the worst crime one could commit. For example, Hotaru outdid him in ruthlessness when he destroyed Li Mei's village, yet Darrius understood why he and Raiden did it. Their goal was to manipulate Li Mei and they'd succeeded. The woman was too caught up in her grief and fury to listen to reason. If she fought Hotaru, she would lose. Oh well, Darrius thought with a sigh, that was her problem.

Dairou could never know the truth. Darrius had made sure to cover his tracks. After the assassin had fulfilled his mission, the rebel leader killed him to ensure his silence and erased all evidence of his involvement. The man he framed for the murder was a guard who'd come close to discovering the real killer's identity. Had he not been eliminated, Dairou would have found out that Darrius was responsible for the deaths of his parents, wife, and daughter.

War was a game, one without rules. To win the game, players had to cheat. If that meant having the blood of innocents on his hands, so be it. Better to sacrifice a hundred lives now than lose a thousand lives later. Some might disagree with this notion, but that was their concern. Individuals in his position could not afford to waste energy worrying about the opinions of others. His followers understood his logic, and that was all that mattered to him.

Tapping his fingers against the surface of a table in his tent, Darrius sighed. Nervousness was not an emotion he was accustomed to feeling; the leader of the Seidan Resistance needed to always maintain an aura of confidence, composure, and mystery. He'd mastered those qualities to perfection. In this moment, however, he found himself struggling to retain his blank expression. Why was that? Never had he hesitated in his beliefs and methods, yet recent events made him reflect on his actions. The emotion he was experiencing wasn't guilt; rather, hesitation and he didn't like it one bit.

Havik had obviously noticed his narrowing of the eyes in response to the mention of Dairou's family. Only the future would tell if the cleric would be able to uncover his dirty little secret. There was no doubt in Darrius's mind that Havik was planning payback on him for their unsuccessful negotiations. Though they had yet to fight, Darrius knew the Chaosrealmer as well as he knew Hotaru. Dairou said that Hotaru and Darrius knew each other too well for a victor to emerge from their war; the same could be said to describe Hotaru and Havik's 'disagreement'.

The Resistance leader exited the tent, hoping a little fresh air would clear his mind. He disliked and was not used to feeling stress. Concealing his stress required no energy; suppressing it necessitated much effort on his part. No matter, he would work through it, like he did through everything else.

Leaning against a tree, Darrius watched Viviana and Ferra skip around Dairou in circles. The mercenary stood with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation when Viviana accidentally bumped into his leg. He pulled her to her feet, patted her on the head, and grimaced when she continued to skip alongside Ferra. A few feet away stood Shujinko, chuckling to himself at the amusing scene. Darrius pushed off the tree and approached the group. The girls ceased their skipping when they noticed him. Dairou gave him a questioning look.

Darrius gestured to his tent."May I have a word in private?"

Dairou glanced at Shujinko and nodded at the two children."Will you watch them?"

Shujinko nodded."Of course." He beckoned to Viviana and Ferra, both of whom moved their game of skipping near him. If the old man was bothered by this, he did not show it; on the contrary, he seemed to find their antics endearing.

Dairou followed Darrius to his tent. Once inside, Darrius removed his sunglasses, placed both hands on the table, and heaved a sigh."As enjoyable as telling Havik off was, we have to watch our backs now more than ever. Havik is all about chaos, making him unpredictable. He's no doubt plotting payback as we speak. Havik is desperate, and that makes him dangerous. His actions during the Blood Code proved that. We already had the Seidan Guard leader and Thunder God breathing down our necks. Adding the cleric of chaos to this equation creates a stressful situation."

Dairou narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms."Hotaru would never trust Havik. Most of Raiden's allies don't even trust him or each other."

"But they do fear him." Darrius stated."Sometimes, fear is equal to if not more effective than loyalty." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully."Hotaru is loyal to Raiden. That much is clear. Shang Tsung has his own agenda and I'm assuming his group of demonesses, Oni, and a wraith are in on his plan. The rest are there due to fear and/or their own purposes. If Havik was desperate enough to seek our aid, there's no telling what Raiden's other lackeys will do."

"You sound worried." Dairou noted, not bothering to hide his surprise.

"Mayhap I am." Darrius said."You heard what Havik said. That girl is in danger."

"She has a name."

"Viviana, I know." Darrius rolled his eyes."I knew her parents as well as Hotaru did. Her name is a minor fact to me."

"I'm inclined to agree with Havik; I can never tell whether you actually care about your followers or not."

"I'm a complicated man."

"Not as complex as you think in my opinion."

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That's the point of freedom."

"Freedom." Dairou murmured."It is an interesting concept. Back when I was a Seidan Guard, I believed with every fiber of my being that freedom was wrong because it led to chaos."

Darrius tilted his head."All of us believe that at first. We are brought up to not know any better, but the truth comes out eventually and we learn how much better it is to die fighting for your freedom than live in oppression." He grimaced."You said I was a terrorist desperate for power while Hotaru is a dictator obsessed with putting me down. I won't deny that I do desire power and my methods are from peaceful, but this is war and to defeat a villain, you have to learn to think like one. Villains expect heroes to do honorable things and heroes expect villains to do dishonorable things. It's a very black and white way of thinking as well as an easy way to tell apart the heroes from the villains. But the world isn't black and white; it's grey and so are the people living in it. In fairytales, figuring out who is evil and who is good is a simple task. In real life, that isn't the case. That is why public opinion regarding Hotaru and myself is divided. Depending on whose side someone is on, I'm a terrorist and he's a hero or vice versa."

Dairou uncrossed his arms."I wouldn't be quick to call you a hero, Darrius," He said slowly as his expression softened,", but I don't think you're a villain either. There are those who would call both you and Hotaru monsters. I have seen monsters; you are not one of them."

"Is Hotaru a monster in your opinion?" The question caught the mercenary off guard if his frown could be considered proof. A long moment of silence passed before Dairou inclined his head and exited the tent without answering Darrius's question.

Darrius replaced his sunglasses, clasped his hands behind his back, and straightened his posture. The mercenary did not trust him, but he was starting to.

It was with that knowledge in mind that Darrius felt his hesitation lessen.

* * *

 _Sorry for the wait. Had a bunch of tests I needed to study for. Luckily, I should have more free time in about a week so I'll be able to fix my schedule._ _Updates may slow down a bit, but that's because I want to focus on making longer chapters. That's not to say there won't be a short one every now and then but not often._

 _Writing Darrius is surprisingly fun. He's not my favorite character, but I enjoy exploring his characterization._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - I never thought of Havik that way, but it makes sense. As for his revival coming back to bite Shang and Raiden, don't forget about Shao Kahn's revival.._

 _Determined Savior - What little information the games gave us on Darrius made us confused as to whether his goals are noble or not so that's what I did with his character. As for Dairou, yeah, no point in hiding that fact._

 _Wander43 - Your words honor me, my friend. I hope to hear from you more often and am honored that this story helped inspire you._

 _Taja - Hopefully he'll grow into a more interesting villain later on ;)_

 _Deadpool's fan - Well, Raiden's group was already unstable before Shang Tsung showed up. It was already hard keeping the Red and Black Dragon clans from killing one another but doing the same thing between the cleric of chaos and order freak is near impossible. Shang Tsung revived Havik to further increase the group's instability because as a chaosrealmer, that's his specialty. The more beef the more instability and the better a chance the soul stealer has to fulfill his mysterious agenda. Of course, Shang Tsung isn't the only scheming sorcerer as Havik's actions during the Blood Code prove how dangerous and sneaky he can be. As for Triborg, I've got big plans for him._ _Oh and for future reference, I'm not a man._

 _Next up: Chapter 70:Shao Kahn (*rubs hands together and grins evilly* this is gonna be good)_


	71. Chapter 70:Shao Kahn

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I have no mouth. And I must scream _."_ — Harlan Ellison, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

 **Chapter 70:Shao Kahn**

* * *

Scream.

This was what Shao Kahn wanted to do. Ever since his resurrection, he'd wanted to let out the loudest scream possible, to be heard by those who'd betrayed and transformed him into a puppet, to wrap his fingers around the throats of his enemies and ex-lackeys. Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Hotaru found great mirth in mocking him. When they came before the Elder Gods, he longed to rip them apart. He also desired to laugh. What did Kotal expect? That the Elder Gods would help his forces? Did these fools not learn?

Standing in the center of a small room, Shao Kahn pondered his plight. He was unable to move unless told to, so he was forced to stand like a statue. It was a welcome respite from the mockery. Raiden was busy planning for the tournament with Hotaru and Shang Tsung assisting him. Everyone else made their own last minute preparations. He was alone for now, and he enjoyed that.

Shao Kahn envied Quan Chi; the necromancer lacked free will, and was thus unable to feel what he felt. He should have known better than to trust Quan Chi, whose slyness enabled him to convince the emperor of his loyalty and the futility of assigning Skarlet to keep an eye on him, but his desperation to conquer Earthrealm caused him to put his faith in the sorcerer. Not a second passed that he didn't regret that decision. To think this was all part of Shinnok's plan...

Living head or not, no one could deny that the fallen Elder God won by metamorphosing Raiden into something more cruel and sadistic than himself and Shao Kahn combined. That was worthy of commendation. Shinnok was doubtless cackling over his victory. Were he able to, Shao Kahn would do the same. Alas, the only laughter he experienced was getting laughed at by his puppeteers. Hours ago, the Black Dragon Clan came in to mimic his fighting style then erupted into guffaws before leaving. Shao Kahn wanted to roll his eyes. Leave it to Kano to be a jokester.

Mileena, Baraka, Tanya, Skarlet, Reiko, Goro, and D'Vorah avoided him like a plague. His 'daughter' was truly distraught with his brainwashing; Baraka shared the sentiment. The others were a different story. Tanya kept quiet for Mileena's sake, but her hatred of him was no secret. Reiko appeared torn between amusement and fascination at the state his old master was in. Goro was shocked, but didn't care. D'Vorah, despite displaying horror at his return, was otherwise impassive. The one he sought to punish the most was Skarlet.

In hindsight, he shouldn't be surprised that the girl developed a mind of her own. With both his and Shang Tsung's grip on her gone, she became the opposite of what she'd been prior to his demise. Her obedience was replaced by senses of individuality and independence as well as a yearning for power and respect. Reiko had taken advantage of that to use her as a pawn, which was ironic considering his status as Havik's unwitting pawn. Now the construct served the Red Dragon Clan, becoming a paramour to Daegon.

The tournament was less than a day away. His sole comfort was the possibility that he'd get a chance to make Ermac/Jerrod, Sindel, Kitana, Liu Kang, Kotal, and Reptile suffer. All those years within Ermac as an annoying voice in the back of Ermac's mind were hellish. Jerrod constantly silencing him didn't lessen the unpleasantness of the experience. At least he could freely think. A pity the same couldn't be said regarding his actions. Shang Tsung's spell alone might've worn off, but the addition of Havik, Tanya, and Daegon's magik reduced his chances of freedom.

In the past, Shao Kahn didn't believe there were fates worse than death, but after spending time as a slave, he reconsidered that opinion. He'd prefer to be chained in the Netherrealm than trapped inside his own body, forced to obey the commands of people on his murder list. Shang Tsung must be laughing his backside off at the predicament his fellow sorcerer and murderer were in. Raiden definitely shared the feeling and though Hotaru hid his emotions well, the occasional quirk in his mouth betrayed his amusement. This only served to increase his desire to destroy them.

The sound of footsteps snapped him from his contemplation. In the doorway stood Skarlet, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She seemed nervous, yet determined. Pursing her lips beneath her mask, she uncrossed her arms and approached him. The clicking of her heels against the floor echoed throughout the room. She stopped walking once she was directly in front of him. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she raised her chin to look him in the eye. It was obvious that she was struggling to maintain her composure and had something important to say.

"I know you can hear me." She finally spoke, her calm tone a sharp contrast to her uneasy countenance."I know you're aware of what is happening around you. Before you wonder how I know this, what else can be expected from that sorcerer? After what you did to him, I find the idea of him putting you in a position of such...discomfort, to put it mildly, very likely."

'Huh.' Shao Kahn thought.'Smart girl. But why did you come here?'

"I came here," She said as if reading his mind,", to tell you I'm not the weapon you created me to be anymore. I'm not your slave. I'm a person, an individual, a living being with emotions and more of a heart than you will ever have.'

Again, Shao Kahn wished he could roll his eyes. He should have seen this coming. For whatever reason, Skarlet felt the need to confront her former master. Let her talk about how horrible he was then. It didn't bother him. She was no saint herself. What right did she have to judge him? What right did **anyone** have to judge him? They were no less wicked than himself. Therefore, he took no offense from her words.

"Scoff all you want." She seemingly read his mind once more."I know I've committed many crimes, both as an Outworld assassin and Red Dragon member. But there is a difference between serving you and being part of the Red Dragon Clan. At first, I thought they were thugs like their Black Dragon counterparts, but after I joined, I realized they were different. The Red Dragons treat one another...like family. From them, I receive the respect you never granted me. You may call me a whore/slave, which I do not doubt you are doing at this very moment, but that doesn't change the truth."

"And which truth might that be?" Someone voiced the question in Shao Kahn's head.

The tension in Skarlet's body grew when she glanced over her shoulder to see Reiko standing in the doorway. A smirk was plastered on his face. She recrossed her arms and straightened her posture as he sauntered over to her and the brainwashed man. Keeping his gaze on Shao Kahn whilst studying his blank visage, he asked,"You don't honestly think anybody cares about you, do you?" His eyes flickered in the red-clan woman's direction as he finished uttering the query.

Her jaw clenched, but she managed to keep a cool tone as she said,"After you betrayed me, I blamed myself for being stupid enough to believe there was someone who'd look at me and see a person rather than a tool. Now I see things differently."

Reiko scoffed."You're too naive."

"I'm no longer the girl you abandoned on the beach of Shang Tsung's Island." She stated icily."I've changed."

Smirk vanishing, Reiko turned to her. She fixed him with a cold stare that didn't falter even as he came too close for comfort and lifted her chin with his fingers. Well, Shao Kahn mused internally, at least he would be getting some entertainment.

For awhile, neither Reiko nor Skarlet spoke. They simply looked at each other, apparently engaged in a mental conversation, until the general broke the silence with a snicker that elicited a wince from the construct. She swatted his wrist so he would release her chin.

"He'll tire of you in his bed eventually." Reiko said. It didn't require a genius to figure out whom he was referring to."You're a fool if you think he cares one wit for your wellbeing." She stiffened, evidently more affected by his remark than her pride allowed her to admit.

Reiko added,"Especially with his right-hand man/best friend back from the dead thanks to Shang Tsung." He tutted."From what I've noticed, he's ignoring and refusing to speak to you. That, in my book, is a clear sign he's already tiring of you."

"Stop it." She whispered through gritted teeth."Daegon told me what you said about me. Unless you desire fire in a place where no man wants to be burned in addition to the two busted lips you already have, I suggest you stop talking."

Skarlet took a step backwards to put some distance between the two of them. Reiko stepped closer to her, his smirk returning. She started backing toward the door with him following her every time she moved. Because she wasn't looking behind her as she walked, she ended up backing right into the wall with him blocking her path. He placed a hand on either side of her head and leaned in so his face was inches from hers. Shao Kahn would've grinned if he had the ability to. This was quickly getting interesting.

"He may defend you now, but soon, he'll cease to care about you. You'll be left alone and unloved yet again and then you'll come running back into my-agh!" His sentence became a pained grunt when her knee connected with his groin. While he was distracted, she turned into a pool of blood and tried to flee, but he fired a ball of dark energy that struck her with such force that she turned back into her normal form. She gasped and moaned in pain as she attempted to flee. Reiko grabbed her by the hair, forced her to her knees, and pinned one of her wrists behind her back with one of his hands whilst gripping her shoulder with his other hand.

"Release me!" She repeatedly slammed her elbow into his ribcage to make him let her go. He tightened his grip, pulled her close to him, and spoke in a low, seductive voice into her ear."I asked you a question on Shang Tsung's Island that you never answered. Were, or rather **are** , you in love with me, Skarlet?" She froze upon hearing the question, paling to the point that she resembled a ghost. Then, quick as a flash, she drew a kunai and rammed it into his shoulder. With a gasp, he released her. She yanked the kunai out, pushed him to the ground, and did nothing to prevent tears from cascading down her cheeks as she hissed,"I will **die** before I run back into your arms!" With a final glower at Shao Kahn, she fled.

Reiko cursed under his breath as he held his shoulder to stop the bleeding. He looked at Shao Kahn for a moment, then grinned."I wonder how disappointed you are about not getting a show." So his adopted son still had a mouth on him. Some things never changed. That wasn't to say Reiko was wrong, given the fact that Shao Kahn was indeed disgruntled at the loss of potential entertainment.

Suddenly, a grappling hook burst into the room and wrapped itself around Reiko's ankles. The grappling hook was given a rough yank, causing Reiko to fall face first on the floor with a yelp. As the general pushed himself up on shaky arms, Mavado made his presence known. He strolled toward Reiko, giving a light tug on his weapon so the dark-skinned Outworlder's ankles were freed. When Reiko tried to rise, Mavado planted a foot on his back. A groan was torn from Reiko's lips when spikes protruded from the bottom of Mavado's boot and dug lightly into his flesh. After a second, Mavado removed his boot and nudged Reiko with his foot, forcing him to roll onto his back. Drawing a hooksword, he pointed it at Reiko's throat.

"I heard what you said to Skarlet." Mavado said."Let me explain something to you. The Red Dragon does not tolerate disrespect toward one of its own. You have shown disrespect to my comrade thrice now if my count is correct. Do so a fourth time, and I will personally restrain you while Lord Daegon castrates you. Am I clear?" When Reiko failed to respond, he threateningly raised his boot as if preparing to stomp on his chest and lowered his voice to an ice cold whisper."Am. I. Clear?"

Reiko sneered."You don't scare me. I doubt Lord Raiden would approve of you harming me."

Mavado chuckled, the sound a mix of contemptuous and chilling."Don't be so sure. Lord Raiden is currently quite fond of my clan. You, however, are up for debate. Who do you think he's more likely to believe? The right-hand man of his champion, or the former right-hand man of Shao Kahn?" In response to the general's muteness, Mavado smiled and inclined his head."That's what I thought." He stepped away from Reiko and exited the room. A grumbling Reiko got to his feet and left as well, leaving Shao Kahn alone.

Boredom immediately overtook the ex-emperor's brain. He didn't know what was worse. The constant mockery, having no control over his actions, or the boredom. Ultimately, he decided the three were equal in horribleness.

"Daddy?" He could recognize that voice anywhere. His true daughter, his chosen heir, the victim of betrayal at the hands of his other ex-enforcers...

Mileena slowly trod up to him with Baraka and Tanya following her. Unbeknownst to the clone, the Tarkatan and Edenian were exchanging glares.

"I am sorry, empress." Tanya said softly as Mileena hung her head in sadness. Baraka stepped forward to put a hand on Mileena's shoulder; she responded by placing her hand on top of his. Seeing this, Tanya grasped her lover's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze which the half-breed returned.

Personally, Shao Kahn would have preferred for his 'daughter' to accept Baraka as a lover due to the brute's loyalty that served as a complete contrast to Tanya's treacherous history, but the white-eyed female seemed to genuinely care for Mileena; ergo, he suppressed his resentment for her. It was good to know **somebody** was loyal to his successor.

"Daddy, I just wanted to promise you that no matter what, I... **we** will find a way to free you." Mileena said firmly, obviously believing her own statement.

"You have my word on that, emperor." Baraka added, nodding.

Tanya ignored Shao Kahn completely as she addressed Mileena."And mine." She copied Baraka's nod. Mileena gave him a pat on the arm before she left with her two most trusted allies staying close to her.

Coldhearted as he might be, Shao Kahn held no hatred for his 'daughter'. If she swore to free him, she would do so. For now, he was content to wait for that time to come...and plan his revenge.

Half-an-hour later, Raiden arrived with Hotaru and Shang Tsung accompanying him. The deity and soul stealer were the very picture of arrogance with their haughty smirks while the Seidan wore his signature blank expression.

"We shall go to Shang Tsung's Island in an hour." Raiden announced, smirk widening.

"Try not to disappoint us in the tournament, **emperor**." Scorn filled Shang Tsung's voice as he uttered the term 'emperor'.

"Indeed." Hotaru agreed as the ghost of a smile touched his lips.

The trio looked at one another for a long moment, and burst into a fit of cackles so loud and unpleasant that Shao Kahn would have winced if he possessed the ability to. He also would have smiled at their unawareness of the danger they were in.

Let these fools laugh while they could. Once he was free from this spell, **he** would get the last laugh.

* * *

 _Wow, Raiden's group is really screwed up. He's got two Dragon Clans and the respective leaders of Orderrealm/Seido and Chaosrealm who have been at war for years, traitors, and alliances within alliances all against one another. Imagine how hard it'll be to conduct World War III when it's already brewing within his own circle of allies. Oh, and then there's Shao Kahn who is NOT too happy about his brainwashing._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _airnaruto45 - YESSSS! XD_

 _Kitao33252 -_ _I'm sure you've noticed this story has been an emotional roller coaster for all our characters, so don't think I'm going easy on the ex-revenants. I don't think they can fully redeem themselves but they **can** get some closure. For example, look at Jax, Kuai Liang, and Hanzo. They've done so much good to atone for their sins but are still haunted, so I don't think the trauma will completely go away. Right now, they're burying themselves in their work to distract themselves_ _, but they know they have to_ _eventually_ _confront their demons and they will._

 _Deadpool's fan - That part about women in war was not intended to shame you but I can see why it might make you feel slightly awkward._ _You're not the first to make a mistake regarding my gender so worries :)_ _I swear, every time I see a remark saying I write a better story than NRS and/or they should use my story, I blush. As for the tournament, after each chapter in which a fight occurs, I will put in my author's note at the end a list of the participants showing who's in and who's out so nobody gets confused._

 _Determined Savior - Only time will tell what I have in store for Dairou *laughs maniacally but breaks into a coughing fit like General_ _Grievous and blushes in embarrassment_ _*_

 _Next up: Chapter 71:Noob Saibot_


	72. Chapter 71:Noob Saibot

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you.  
Seal my ears, I'll go on hearing you.  
And without feet I can make my way to you,  
without a mouth I can swear your name.

Break off my arms, I'll take hold of you  
with my heart as with a hand.  
Stop my heart, and my brain will start to beat.  
And if you consume my brain with fire,  
I'll feel you burn in every drop of my blood."  
— Rainer Maria Rilke

 **Chapter 71:Noob Saibot**

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Boredom.

Of all emotions, this was the one Noob Saibot currently felt. Lounging in his throne with an elbow on the armrest and his cheek resting in his palm, the emperor of the Netherrealm watched Drahmin torture a demon whose name he lacked the will to learn for a crime he contained no interest in recalling. Moloch restrained the victim, ordering him to shut up whenever he pleaded for mercy. Kia and Jataaka were each perched on an armrest on either side of Noob, the former disinterestedly inspecting her nails whilst the latter examined her laser sword. The two women were just as bored as Noob. Drahmin's lack of creativity in torture methods did nothing to lessen the trio's listlessness. Quan Chi must've been terribly desperate for minions to appoint this fool as a master torturer.

They were scheduled to go to Shang Tsung's Island today, though the exact time for that was unknown. Noob knew Kuai Liang and Sareena would not be at the tournament. Smoke, Scorpion, Smoke, Nightwolf, and Ashrah, on the other hand, were participating. He was eager to avenge his death at Scorpion's hands as well as his defeat by Nightwolf. A reunion with Smoke, however, was not something he looked forward to. His encounter with his then cyborg sibling was unpleasant enough due to Kuai Liang grating on his nerves with his chatter of how they were both flawed copies of their former selves. Smoke would doubtless speak in a similar, if not identical, manner.

Noob scoffed; angry as he was at Quan Chi for tricking the spectre into killing him, he remained firm in his belief that he was a flawless version of his old self. Bi-Han paled in comparison to Noob Saibot, and he would never cease believing that. Smoke and Hanzo Hasashi, in their love for their humane sides, tossed Scorpion and Enenra aside the moment they were restored to life. It was as pathetic as it was idiotic. Humans were foolish creatures, and humanity was overrated. His soul was not corrupted, merely strengthened. Not that he expected others to understand that.

Noob hated weakness, so he was not ashamed to say that becoming a wraith rid him of all but one weakness: Sareena. Try as he might, he could not bring himself to forget her. Mercy was not a gift he was accustomed to granting, but when she fell to her knees after their battle and fearfully gazed up at him, his countenance of icy irritation softened. Kia and Jataaka had taunted him during their fights against him, but Sareena hadn't said a word. She fought like her life depended upon it, and given Quan Chi's nature, it probably did. Choosing to spare her life, he silently left. He heard her faint, but opted not to stop in favor of focusing on his mission.

Words could not describe the shock he felt when she helped him defeat Quan Chi. Still stupefied by her unexpected defection, he asked her why she'd aided him. Her simple yet hopeful reply was that he was a mortal, meaning he could escape the Netherrealm, and that she wanted to accompany him. His main focus had been Shinnok's amulet, but he was not averse to her request. Just as he tried to explain that he needed the amulet, Shinnok struck her in the back with an energy bolt. Noob remembered the rage that filled him as he caught her in his arms, unwilling and unable to believe that she was dead. If looks could kill, the glare he gave Shinnok as he swore revenge for Sareena would have reduced the fallen Elder God to a pile of ashes.

It was with a heavy heart that he realized he couldn't let Sareena's memory weaken him. So he forced the events that led to him meeting her into the deepest abyss of his mind, though he could not eliminate the images of her expressions of fear, hope, and pain from his brain. How was it that someone he barely knew managed to leave this powerful effect on him? Had he developed romantic feelings, or at the very least empathy, towards her?

As a Lin Kuei, he was taught not to feel love, pity, or affection. That was why he pushed his younger brother away so often. It didn't stop Kuai Liang from idolizing him, to his annoyance, but he'd nevertheless built a barrier around his heart that he was determined not to allow anyone to break through. In his final moments as Scorpion burned him, he thought about Sareena, and wondered if he would see her again.

Hours prior to his defeat by Nightwolf, he went to the fifth plane of the Netherrealm to find Sareena. Quan Chi had told him that her human form had been destroyed, yet she lived. No doubt the necromancer incorrectly believed her name no longer held any worth to Noob. Although he wasn't the man she'd met long ago, he decided that the least he could do to atone for failing to be the savior she saw him as was fulfill her wish of sweet escape from Hell.

Finding her was not difficult. Even in her true form, he recognized her. She didn't initially recognize him, but that changed once they made eye contact. She was weeping and wounded after being tortured (and possibly violated) by the other creatures residing in the fifth plane.

With a gentleness he was surprised to have, Noob lifted Sareena into his arms as she passed out and took her to Outworld. Quickly, he instructed her to restore her human form and took his leave. When she spoke his name, the one he'd cast aside, he grew angry. He grabbed her throat, squeezing until she turned blue before regaining control over his anger. He let her go and left without letting her utter a word of gratitude. He acknowledged his cowardice in fleeing, yet he could not think of anything to say.

He'd developed an obsession with Sareena. The mere thought of her pained him, but this pain resembled a drug he could not get enough of. She became the center of his thinking process, an addiction he did not want to break. He **wanted** to experience the bittersweetness of remembrance, and he didn't care how his sanity suffered as a result of his obsession for this woman.

During his time in hiding, he was content to watch events unfold from the shadows. It shocked him completely when Shang Tsung's essence found him. The sorcerer had cheated death and like Noob, sat back to watch his foes destroy each other. Shang Tsung explained that he intended to reveal himself soon, and that he could help Noob obtain what he desired. They formed a deal: Shang Tsung would assist the wraith in attaining rule over the Netherrealm along with Sareena in exchange for Noob's assistance in fulfilling his own agenda.

Raiden's group was already unstable with the two Dragon Clans; adding the conflict between the leaders of Orderrealm and Chaosrealm increased the infighting.

The resurrections, particularly Shao Kahn's, stole much of Shang Tsung's strength, but he insisted on their necessity. Noob had no reason to doubt the soul stealer, who proved more reliable and respectful to his minions than Quan Chi. That did not mean he blindly trusted him, as it was clear Shang Tsung's 'kindness' stemmed from manipulation skills in lieu of actual compassion. Still, it was safer to trust the wily sorcerer than the deranged Thunder God whose insanity grew everyday.

Leaning back in his throne with a sigh, Noob draped an arm over his eyes. These musings of his were not uncommon, and granted him comfort and discomfort. He often struggled to comprehend the difference between pain and pleasure. This difference was a line so thin he wondered if it truly existed, but he found himself lacking the capability to care about the topic.

Tired of hearing the demon's agonized cries, Noob lowered the hand that wasn't covering his eyes to draw a shuriken that he swiftly and calmly flicked at the demon. Drahmin and Moloch's surprised gasps were not required to confirm that the shuriken had impaled itself into its victim's forehead, killing him instantly.

"Impressive aim." Kia remarked.

"Indeed." Jataaka muttered in agreement.

"Thank you." Noob said blankly with his eyes still shut."Drahmin, Moloch, retrieve my shuriken for me, will you?" He wrinkled his nose."And dispose of that corpse. It is already starting to smell."

Drahmin obediently picked up the shuriken and tossed it to Noob, who easily caught the projectile with an emotionless utterance of gratitude. Moloch lifted the demon's lifeless body and slung it over his shoulder before exiting the throne room with Drahmin following closely behind the blue-skinned Oni.

Sighing, Jataaka sheathed her blade."Aren't we supposed to go to Shang Tsung's Island today?" She queried.

"Yes." Noob replied in a bored and blunt manner."I am certain he will arrive..." The sound of a portal opening caused him to pause,"...shortly." He finished in a dull tone as he removed his arm from his eyes to look at the smirking sorcerer whose hands were clasped behind his back.

"We shall go to my island in half-an-hour." Shang Tsung announced.

Noob turned to the demonic duo."Inform Drahmin and Moloch that we will be leaving soon." He gestured to the door. The women bowed to both Noob and Shang Tsung, the latter of whom returned the bow, before hurrying to fulfill their orders.

"How goes your reign so far?" Shang Tsung asked once they were alone.

"The Brotherhood of Shadows has successfully suppressed all revolts to my rule." Noob said as a pleased smile formed beneath his mask."Hopefully, they will be able to preserve order while we are at the tournament."

"Good." Shang Tsung said as he motioned for Noob follow him to the balcony. Both men leaned over the railing to admire the dark beauty of the Netherrealm and settled into a comfortable silence until Noob broke it.

"Our plan is working to perfection, I assume?" He asked.

Shang Tsung grinned."Raiden seems to have fallen for my deception hook, line, and sinker. I am now equal in rank to Hotaru, though he obviously trusts the Seidan more than he does me."

"That he trusts you at all is a miracle." Noob stated."One might think he would be hesitant to trust anyone after Scorpion's defection."

"True, but he is desperate; he doesn't have much of a choice in whom to trust. Beggars cannot be choosers, after all." Shang Tsung sighed."Although I suppose the same applies to us. We must venture carefully; a single move can spark war among our allies. First, we must defeat Kotal Kahn, Fujin, and Liu Kang's forces. Then we can deal with Raiden and Hotaru."

"What of Shao Kahn? Your spell has been secured thanks to aid from Daegon, Havik, and Tanya, yet their loyalty to Raiden hangs by a thread, does it not?"

Shang Tsung emitted a thoughtful hum while rubbing his chin."In Daegon's case, he is being manipulated by Raiden similarly to how Shinnok manipulated the demigod in the past. Seeing as the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster came to his senses, there is nothing preventing Daegon from realizing the truth as well, though I imagine Raiden has grown careful to prevent another defection. Tanya is clever and traitorous, but she is also a coward. In addition to that, we must take into consideration her affection for Mileena. I am uncertain regarding Havik. If the cleric had no issue betraying Quan Chi during the Blood Code, there is little except his people's fate, which lies in Hotaru's hands, stopping him from betraying us. Or more specifically Raiden. As I said, we must maintain caution until the times arrives to make our move."

Noob shifted slightly."Are you certain it is wise to allow Raiden to merge the realms?" His voice was barely above a whisper."Doing so will-"

"I know what merging the realms shall cause." Shang Tsung said evenly, his grin having returned."And believe me, Raiden knows as well. We simply have different agendas for when that moment comes. Not that he is aware of my plot, of course."

Noob's eyebrows rose."We are taking a large risk." He didn't bother to conceal his worry as he spoke.

"No risk, no reward." Shang Tsung stated.

"Hmph." The wraith grunted."I suppose you are right." He admitted grudgingly."Still, I am...concerned as to whether we shall succeed or not."

Scoffing, Shang Tsung patted the former Lin Kuei's arm."You worry too much. Everything is going according to plan. We merely need to play our cards correctly and success will be ours." The soul stealer tilted his head and added in a murmur,"And Sareena will be yours."

Noob looked Shang Tsung dead in the eye to make sure he understood the seriousness of every word he uttered."If she is harmed-"

"Do you have so little faith in me, Noob?" Shang Tsung interrupted as he theatrically rested a hand against his own chest."Have I at all steered you wrong since the formation of our alliance?"

"Well, no."

"Then cease doubting me. It is highly offensive."

"I am reluctantly, though not blindly, placing my faith in you, sorcerer." Noob said."Do not make me regret my decision."

"Follow our plan and you will not regret anything ever again."

Noob nodded curtly."Very well."

And just like that, they returned to conducting the rest of their plot.

* * *

 _Good news: we only have 1 chapter left after this one and then it's tournament time! I've delayed that part of the story long enough, especially when keeping in mind that I have much more planned after the tournament for this story so I have a lot to do._

 _I hope everybody has a Happy New Year._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Snafu the Great - That basically sums up what they do in_ _thatoneguy655's The Return of Shao Kahn :)_

 _Taja - And vice versa. Even evil has loved ones._

 _CrimzonNova510 - Onaga, you say?_ _Hmm...*shrugs mischievously*_

 _AXZ-Universe - Well, I certainly didn't expect anybody to pity Shao Kahn. Reiko **is** a wannabe, but I hope to flesh him out as time goes on. Mileena **is** ever loyal to her father, which I guess is kinda admirable. I'm glad to __at least_ _give you mixed feelings about Skarlet and Mavado. As for Reptile, Shao Kahn wants to punish him (among several others) for betraying Mileena since he chose her to succeed him and by betraying her, they betrayed him. PS: Love your new pen name! ;)_

 _Guest - It especially adds to the tension when you realize that Raiden is all of those things himself now - a criminal, backstabber, traitor, murderer, hypocrite, etc. All of the people he's chosen to fight for him are basically extensions of his own new personality when you think about it._

 _Next up: Chapter 72:Taven II_


	73. Chapter 72:Taven II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."  
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It

 **Chapter 72:Taven II**

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"Finally! This has been the longest trip of my life!"

These were the words Taven uttered when the ship escorting the tournament participants to Shang Tsung's Island arrived at its destination. Well, technically they were several feet from the beach, but would be there soon. Although the trip took twelve hours, it felt like an eternity. Given the years he'd slept through, time was more precious to Taven than ever. Recent events had reminded him that no one could predict the future and time needed to be valued.

The past was bittersweet, bitter because pondering the memories brought pain and sweet because those memories were happy. He wished he could go back to prevent all of this from happening. Maybe then his family wouldn't be broken. His parents would still be alive, his brothers wouldn't have chosen paths of darkness, and Taven himself wouldn't be so broken...

Sighing, Taven rubbed his temples. The last few days been, to put it mildly, trying. From the confusion of his awakening, horror of learning about his family's brokenness, anger at his siblings' actions and the Elder Gods inaction, and currently to the glumness that had consumed him since leaving for tournament.

Prior to their departure, Orin assured the demigod they would win and encouraged him not to lose hope or linger in the past. Taven always admired his guardian's optimism. No matter what, Orin maintained a sense of hope. Taven tried to draw comfort from the golden dragon's optimism, but the gloom overtaking him was too strong to suppress.

He wasn't worried about the tournament nor the coming war. It was the aftermath of the conflict that vexed him. Like the past, victory would be bittersweet, bitter due to the tragedies that led them to it and sweet due to the satisfaction of being victorious. That thought didn't last long, as Taven realized victory would not be sweet. Many innocents were dead. More would lose their lives in the near future. But that wasn't the most tragic aspect of the situation.

Raiden had been willing to sacrifice his life to save Earthrealm, and this was his reward? It wasn't fair. He deserved better. If the Elder Gods had intervened, the Thunder God would not be the wicked creature he was now.

Then there was the issue regarding his brothers. They were both misguided. Despite having a loving adoptive father, Rain lost his mother as an infant and learned in adulthood that the man who raised him wasn't his father. The case of Daegon was worse. He knew his brother and father didn't have the best relationship, but to think it was so unloving that Argus admitted to feeling shame over calling Daegon a son made his blood run cold. The lack of love from his father forced Daegon to search for a father figure elsewhere, rendering him easy to manipulate. He had Caro and Delia, but he needed his father.

Taven remembered how Shinnok would visit, more often to see Daegon than Argus. He'd been planning to betray his fellow deities and Daegon was his pawn from the very beginning. Raiden visited whenever he could, sent Fujin in his stead, or took the Wind God with him. The two gods of Earthrealm were quick to pull Daegon aside while giving Shinnok stern stares to warn him to leave the demigod alone.

When Argus was informed, he confronted Shinnok with his sons accompanying him. He thanked Shinnok for his attempts to help, but stated it was his family and he required no help. Undaunted, Shinnok asked Daegon whom he preferred. Argus ordered him to answer the question, fully expecting him to choose his parent. Shinnok extended a hand to Daegon. After looking at his father, Daegon accepted the offered hand. Flabbergasted, Argus spent minutes gaping, then shook his head and dragged his family home without listening to Shinnok's claims that he should respect his son's choice.

The argument that occurred between Argus and Daegon once they arrived home was so loud and irate it was a wonder the building didn't explode. The words that escaped both men's mouths during their altercation were not terms Taven felt comfortable repeating. Delia and Caro took Daegon to the sorceress's temple for the night whilst Taven and Orin stayed with Argus. The next day, the trio returned from Delia's temple. Delia firmly grasped her youngest's shoulders as she guided him toward his father, who looked equally tired and upset. They gazed at each other for a moment before Argus nodded curtly. Daegon reciprocated the nod. Though the tension remained, everyone hoped everything would be alright. Shinnok's visits ended, and the topic of him was dropped.

Days later, Shao Kahn invaded Edenia. The Elder Gods, including Argus, granted no aid in repelling the invasion. Shao Kahn fought Taven, Daegon, Caro, and Orin while sending Shang Tsung to kill Delia. Luckily, Delia managed to defeat the soul stealer. Although they succeeded in overcoming the emperor in battle, the threat he posed was undeniable. This was the battle that gave Daegon the scar on his right eye, serving as a reminder of what happened that day.

Raiden and Fujin accompanied them to see the Elder Gods afterwards. Daegon exploded with rage, demanding to know why they hadn't intervened. He got in Argus's face to give him a good look at his new scar, blaming him for the injury. Shinnok, in what Taven now realized was feigned compassion, put a hand on Daegon's shoulder and explained that they could not interfere in mortal affairs unless they themselves were threatened. Raiden reasoned that they could not ignore the danger Shao Kahn presented to Edenia. Argus told him that as Protector of Earthrealm, Edenia's fate was not Raiden's concern.

"I am Protector of Edenia, not you." Argus had said coldly."Let me do my job."

Raiden would've riposted, but Fujin reminded the Thunder God that Argus was correct in his statement, though he added his own disapproval of Argus's coldness. Not that this affected Argus, of course.

The months that followed Shao Kahn's attack weren't joyful. Daegon lost sight in his left eye during a sparring match accident with Taven. The elder son of Argus would never forgive himself for that accident. Neither would his sibling. They'd come close to reconciling when they playfully raced to their father's temple, but were rendered unconscious upon arrival, put into incubation, and left under the protection of their dragon guardians until Blaze sent the signal to awaken them. The rest was history.

"In an hour, it will be midnight." Jade said, rubbing her eyes."The last three days have been the most trying ones in my entire existence."

"How's my mother?" Taven asked.

"Delia has been meditating ever since we left." Jade replied with a sigh."She is upset, but has managed to regain her composure. She will do what must be done. I hope you are prepared to do the same."

"I am." Taven nodded sadly."It won't bring me any joy, but I'll do what I have to. My sorrow can't possibly compare to hers."

"Indeed." Jade agreed."No parent should bury their child, let alone kill them. Your mother is strong, though, and so long as she is not alone, she will survive this." She patted his arm."You are all she has left. I suggest you try not to die."

Taven snorted."I'll keep that in mind. Seeing are you are sharing a body with her, I am inclined to offer you similar advice."

"I know and have fought some of the kombatants on Raiden's side. With the exception of Daegon, Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, and the aforementioned Thunder God you know none of them. I, however, have defeated Mileena, Tanya, and Baraka in kombat and fought alongside the last two in addition to Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, Skarlet, and Goro." As Jade spoke, she drew her staff, extended the weapon to its full length, and tapped it against the floor. Then, out of nowhere, she used the staff to whack Taven upside the head."That was for laughing while I was speaking to Smoke earlier today." She explained without reacting to his cry of surprise/pain or the glower he shot her.

"You make it sound like I was teasing you." He grumbled as he rubbed the spot on his head where she'd struck him.

"You **were**. Words are not required to tease someone."

"It is not **my** fault you blushed when he called something in Czech! What did he say anyway?"

Jade huffed."None of your concern." She looked away to hide the pink hue her cheeks adopted.

"I could ask him, you know."

"And I could strike you in between the legs with my staff."

He scoffed."My mother would never let you do that."

Jade's eyebrows rose."Do you want to take that gamble?" She fixed him with a stare that dared him to respond. After taking a second to ponder the threat, Taven shook his head.

The ghost of a smile touched the green-clad woman's lips."A wise decision."

Taven snorted once more."I don't know what's worse. Discovering my father was not the man I thought he was, or having someone who wasn't even born yet when I was put into incubation treat me like a younger sibling."

"I'd say both are equally unpleasant." Ruby interjected as she, Rain, and Kitana joined the pair. Ruby pulled Taven away from Jade and perched on the railing. Kitana walked to Jade's other side before perching on the railing as well. After a minute, Jade copied her friends' actions.

Taven scowled at Ruby. The red-clad female either didn't notice or didn't care, as she was engrossed in conversation with her friends. Turning to Rain, he gestured toward Ruby."Is she always like this?" He deliberately uttered the question in a louder tone than necessary. Ruby displayed no hint of noticing nor caring.

"You will get used to it after awhile." Rain said, leaning his back against the railing and crossing his arms.

Rolling his eyes, Taven leaned forward to rest his elbows on the railing and held his head in his hands. Rain cleared his throat. Taven ignored him.

"Taven." The utterance of his name caused the eldest son of Argus to look at the purple-clad man with raised eyebrows. Rain narrowed his eyes."Your defense of me in front of the Elder Gods was unexpected, unwanted, and unnecessary." He spat the adjectives with such harshness that Taven winced. But then Rain's expression softened and he let out a sigh. His voice lowered to a whisper."But not unappreciated."

'Surprised' didn't begin to describe how Taven felt after hearing Rain's words. Slowly but surely, his lips twisted into a smile."Is this your way of saying 'Thank you'?"

Rain stiffened."Yes." His voice was lower than a whisper now.

Reaching out, Taven patted Rain's shoulder."Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. After all, you would not want anyone thinking you've gone soft, would you?" He teased.

Scoffing, Rain started to respond when a shadow suddenly loomed over them. They looked up to see Raiden levitating mere feet above them. Plastered on his face was the ugly grin his ex-allies had grown accustomed to seeing.

"And here I was worried you would not come." Raiden said, his tone sickly sweet.

After exchanging glances, Rain and Taven started forming their respective projectiles, ready to launch them at the deity in case he attacked. Upon noticing this, Raiden wagged his finger at them."Uh-uh-uh, no fighting outside of the tournament." He sounded like an excited little boy. He moved his gaze to Kotal Kahn and Liu Kang."Is there a reason for Fujin's absence? Or Sonya Blade's?" He inquired."Tell me. How is Cassandra doing?"

"Leave 'em alone." Jax spat."Haven't ya put that family through enough?"

Raiden laughed, the sound so chilling it caused a shiver to go down Taven's spine. Raiden's smirk widened when he saw this. Returning his attention to Jax, he said,"Oh, Jackson Briggs, I have barely begun unleashing my revenge on that family. The tournament has granted them a respite. Now I turn my wrath on **your** family." He looked at Jacqui."Kano excitedly awaits his 'playtime' with you, Jacqueline."

"You son of a bitch!" Jax screamed. Jacqui grabbed his arm to restrain him.

"Dad, he's just taunting you." She said."Don't let it get to you."

"I wonder if you will be as hard to break as Cassandra." Raiden mused.

"Cease this game, devil!" Kotal shouted."Your jeers are pointless."

"You have no one except yourself to blame for this, Kotal." Raiden hissed."Had you not invaded Earthrealm-"

"You would have declared war on us regardless of what we did or did not do." Liu Kang stated.

"Perhaps." Raiden admitted."Eliminating a threat before it rises is an efficient technique."

"Those are Hotaru's words." Bo' Rai Cho said.

Raiden scowled."He understands me, unlike my former allies."

"Forgive us if we cannot fathom the merit of using violence to solve one's problems." Taven said dryly.

Raiden sneered at the demigod."Your naiveté is endless."

"So is your hauteur." Taven retorted.

"Is there a reason for this 'welcome', Raiden?" Liu Kang demanded."Or do you merely wish to taunt us?"

Raiden chuckled."I offered you the chance to surrender. You refused. Ergo, you have chosen to oppose me." He pointed at Li Mei."Her people paid the price for her defiance. As did the Lin Kuei for Sub-Zero's defiance. If you thought what I did to them was horrible, you cannot begin to imagine how I shall make the rest of you suffer." As soon as the Thunder God finished speaking, he vanished.

"He was trying to frighten us." Liu Kang said.

"A pity he has failed to evoke fear within any of us." Rain remarked."If anything, he has only increased our determination to destroy him."

Liu Kang grinned wryly."For once, I agree with you."

"One way or another, he shall fall." Taven stated.

The stage had been set. Now it was time for the show to begin.

* * *

 _While I will focus on this story, especially now that it's tournament time, most of my attention is on its prequel so I can expand on it and make references for continuity's sake. If you read both stories, you should notice references I make within both of them. If you don't, well, that one explains itself, doesn't it?_

 _In the author's note after each tournament chapter, I will put a list showing who's still in the tournament. There will be matches whose endings will please and displease some people, which is fine. All I ask is you express your reaction civilly. I've carefully decided who will fight whom, who will win each fight, and what fights will end in draws based on physical/mental condition and my evilness. I'm pleased with my decisions, but I know there will be people who disagree so again, please be civil. If everyone follows that simple guideline, we should be fine._

 _I hope everybody had a Happy New Year._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _CrimzonNova510 - Regarding Raiden's amulet, I cannot answer that without spoilers._

 _AXZ-Universe - Noob is definitely arrogant. Not only did he and Mileena lose to Kabal, but he also lost to Kung Lao, Cyber Sub-Zero,_ _ **and**_ _Nightwolf. I don't think Bi-Han hated Kuai Liang; he was just so absorbed in the Lin Kuei's teachings that he forced himself to push his brother away because he believed emotion is weakness. When he met Sareena, something about her made him feel things he didn't expect to. What Noob feels for Sareena is an obesssion that's consuming him, which is unromantic and creepy. Haha, Akuma vs Shang Tsung is my second favorite DeathBattle after Deadpool vs Pinkie Pie (I LMAO whenever I watch that). As for Noob and Shang Tsung's plot...*grins*_

 _Guest - *shrugs mischievously*_

 _CharlieFreak180 - I honestly don't know how long it'll take to finish this story or its prequel. This story will definitely be over 100 chapters, but I'm not sure about the other one because I just started it. We'll just have to see what the future holds. Erron flirts with almost every girl so it's not shocking he'd flirt with Li Mei. Although I admit they_ _ **are**_ _getting close. It was Kobra who flipped the bird at Jarek, but I'm still glad you found it funny. I've been working on making one chapter per week for both stories but I have to get my schedule in order. As for good guys dying/cliffhangers, I can assure you this tournament won't be completely deathless._

 _Bro - Thanks. No worries. I'm glad you're catching up._

 _Fox619 - Thanks. At this point, everybody knows to expect the unexpected from me ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 73:Baraka_


	74. Chapter 73:Baraka

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Yet he was jealous, though he did not show it, For jealousy dislikes the world to know it."  
— George Gordon Byron

 **Chapter 73:Baraka**

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Jealousy.

It was not an emotion Baraka expected to feel, yet every time he saw Tanya interact with Mileena, the green-eyed monster consumed his heart. Edenians always irked him with their disloyalty. Jade, Ruby, Kitana, and Rain greatly grated on his nerves, but none of them compared to Tanya. He hated her smug grin, her shameless promiscuity, her status as the empress's favorite...he hated everything about the woman.

Why did this traitor deserve to become Mileena's consort? **He** was the one who stood by her. He had **died** for her for Elder Gods' sake! Why then were Reiko and Tanya able to weave their way into her good graces when he was not? Both had seduced her into accepting them as allies in order to fulfill their agendas. He didn't worry about Reiko, as the general seemed focused on harassing Skarlet rather than Mileena. Tanya was a different story. What did Tanya have that he didn't have?

Whenever he managed to be alone with his empress, the white-eyed female interrupted. The fact that Mileena enjoyed her company and never hesitated to order him to leave or completely ignored him when Tanya was present increased his envy. What could possibly be worse, one might ask? Well, there was the brazen manner in which she taunted him about his unrequited feelings for Mileena. Baraka wondered if she cared for her lover at all, or if she simply enjoyed taunting him.

Grumbling, Baraka leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed and his gaze glued to the floor. Why was he jealous? Unless one counted their one-night stand the night preceding Kotal's usurpation, he and Mileena hadn't ever been romantically involved. Their night together was just sex. At least that was what he thought. Now he wasn't certain, and that vexed him.

His musings kept him awake for most of the night, preventing him from getting more than two hours of sleep. This didn't bother him, however; he'd slept for smaller amounts of time than that. He waited until dawn to go into the training room where he snuck some last minute training in. Alas, ten minutes into his practice, he heard Raiden, Hotaru, and Shang Tsung nearby and opted to leave. The last several hours had been spent in his quarters. He didn't want to visit Mileena lest he run into Tanya or find her in the clone's room.

He had ten minutes before the tornament's beginning. In fact, he should start heading for the courtyard now. The last thing he desired was to aggravate Raiden by being late.

Sighing, Baraka arose and went to the courtyard. Upon arrival, he saw all participants on Kotal Kahn's side standing on one side of the arena while Raiden's allies stood on the other side. The Red and Black Dragon Clans, cleric of chaos, vampiress, Kytinn, general, Edenian traitor, and brainwashed ex-emperor were present.

To his dismay, Tanya summersaulted to land directly in front of him. This action evoked a growl from him.

"You seem miffed." She did not bother hiding her amusement in vexing him.

"Leave me alone, Edenian." He growled.

Smugness overcame her features."Green is not your color."

"I will not tell you again!"

Scoffing, she crossed her arms."You will not harm me. Mileena Kahnum shall be very upset with you, and that is the last thing you desire."

Baraka clenched his fists. His blades begged to be drawn. One stab would eliminate this nuisance. Yet it would earn him Mileena's hatred. Loath as he was to admit it, Tanya was correct.

"Do not pretend to care for her." He spat. Brilliant actress or not, Tanya wasn't fooling him; she'd seduced Mileena into accepting her as an ally just like Reiko, though whereas the general moved up in position, she remained Mileena's concubine.

Tanya opened her mouth to riposte, closing it when she spotted someone over Baraka's shoulder. He needn't turn around to know Mileena was approaching them.

Brushing past him, Tanya deliberately bumped her shoulder against his, evoking a growl from him. She ignored him in favor of opening her arms for Mileena to step into her embrace. Averting his eyes, Baraka took his place at Mileena's left. After finishing their embrace, Tanya settled at the half-breed's right.

Five minutes later, precisely five minutes prior to noon, everyone else arrived.

Raiden and Hotaru appeared in a flash of light. The deity's smirk sharply contrasted the Seidan's blank expression. Shang Tsung arrived with Noob Saibot, Kia, Jataaka, Drahmin, and Moloch accompanying him. The soul stealer ambled to his throne and gracefully sat down. Noob leaned against the wall beside the throne. The demonesses and Oni sat cross-legged on the floor close to Shang Tsung's feet.

Raiden motioned Daegon to do something. Daegon looked at Mavado, who produced a remote from his pocket that he tossed to Raiden. Catching the remote, Raiden pressed some buttons. A green light shone, vanishing as the sound of metal meeting the floor echoed through the courtyard.

Rising from his kneeling position, Triborg used his jet boots to fly toward Shao Kahn and landed next to him.

Raiden turned to his ex-allies."Nothing to say?" He asked, gesturing to Triborg. He frowned at their lack of reactions."Hmm. I was expecting **some** shock on your parts."

"Nothing to be shocked about." Jax said, shrugging."We knew from the second Shang Tsung stole the data chip and allied with you that this would happen."

Jacqui added,"So why don't you quit wasting our time and get on with the tournament?"

"Your antics have created what is doubtless the longest week of our lives." Kenshi said."I don't doubt this week, month, or whatever amount of time we spend here shall be different. Therefore, as Jacqui says, please get on with it."

Raiden huffed."Very well." Clasping his hands behind his back, he paced the stage."The rules are simple. Matches are decided by Shang Tsung and I. Challenges may be offered and accepted. There will be two to three matches per day and an occasional day of rest depending on how long this competition lasts. You are certain you do not have anything to say?"

"Hotaru!" The shout was so loud and unexpected that every kombatant except for Quan Chi, Shao Kahn, Triborg, and Hotaru himself winced. Rapid footsteps sounded as the shouter neared the stage. Even before she came into view, Baraka realized her identity: Li Mei. Along with Nitara, she'd constantly met with Mileena during her reign to unsuccessfully beg the empress to show compassion.

Despite cries of protest from her comrades, Li Mei jumped onto the stage. Clad in purple and silver armor consisting of a helmet, breastplate, spaulders, vambraces, pants, and knee-high boots, she bore zero resemblance to her past self. With her head held high, eyes narrowed, and fingers clutching her Kunlun Dao, she looked fierce and bloodthirsty.

"Ugh, it's that peasant!" Mileena whined."She is even more irksome than I remember!"

Li Mei pointed her sword at Hotaru."I challenge you, for the murder of my people!" She declared.

In the audience, Erron Black and Bo' Rai Cho facepalmed.

Shang Tsung cackled."Our first challenge!" He looked at Hotaru."But is it accepted?"

With all eyes on him, Hotaru sighed deeply. Grimacing, he studied Li Mei as if she were a child throwing a tantrum. He pinched the bridge of his nose, evidently pondering her challenge. Raiden tapped him on the shoulder while Shang Tsung cleared his throat to get his attention. The three men exchanged looks, seeming to engage in silent discussion.

Eventually, Hotaru nodded."Challenge accepted." He uttered tonelessly.

After patting Hotaru's shoulder, Raiden teleported to reappear by Shang Tsung's throne.

Drawing his naginata, Hotaru twirled it as he continued to study his opponent.

"Was it easy?" She asked tearfully."To slaughter innocents in their slumbers?"

"The ends justify the means." Hotaru said coolly."Your people were a means to an end. I have sacrificed more than you can imagine for the sake of order."

"To hell with order!" She spat."My people had **nothing** to do with this conflict. What was the point of eradicating them?"

"They paid the price for your defiance." His cool tone and blank expression never faltered as he spoke.

Baraka couldn't recall a single moment when he saw Hotaru smile. One had to wonder if the man knew how or possessed the ability to.

"You have yourself alone to blame for their fate." Hotaru said matter-of-factly."You chose to oppose Raiden. Had you done the opposite, they would still be alive."

She scoffed."Forgive me for not wishing to serve a mad god!"

"Enough!" Raiden yelled."Are you going to fight, or argue like children?"

Hotaru wet his lips."Let us fight, if that is what you wish."

"It is." She replied, nodding.

Mileena tittered."This should be amusing." She said, receiving a nod of agreement from Tanya. Baraka kept his gaze on the arena. Though he didn't care for the fighters, he preferred watching them pummel one another to listening to his female companions. At least it would distract him from his vexation.

Hotaru and Li Mei circled each other. Keeping her sword pointed at her foe, Li Mei started forming an purple energy ball in her palm. Hotaru seemed to be trying to predict her first move.

Shang Tsung and Raiden spoke in unison."Fight!"

Li Mei launched her energy ball. Hotaru dodged the projectile. Taking advantage of his distracted state, she charged. Hotaru brought up his naginata to block her sword. When she pressed further, he threw her off balance. Grunting, she staggered back, but regained her footing. Aiming for his neck, she swung. Ducking, he proceeded to slide past and appear behind her with a streak of magma trailing from his feet. She whirled around to be greeted with a punch to the face that caused her head to snap back.

Jumping, he repeatedly kicked her sideways. She simultaneously dropped her weapon and crumbled to her knees. He moved to stab her. She reacted by shooting a purple energy ball at his chest. She flipped forward, bringing her feet overhead to kick him. Landing on her feet, she retrieved her sword and thrust at his neck. Hotaru leaned backwards; the blade missed his throat by inches. He threw a magma ball to the ground, sending Li Mei into the air. An uppercut kept her airborne, followed by an additional uppercut that caused her to flip in midair and land on her stomach.

Groaning, Li Mei pushed herself up on shaky arms. Her gaze moved to her Kunlun Dao, then met Hotaru's equally steely gaze. She hurried to grab the weapon with Hotaru hurrying to it as well. He planted his foot on it at the same time that she grabbed the pommel. As soon as she looked up at him, his other foot struck her in the nose, breaking it with a sickening crack. She cried out, falling onto her backside and covering her nose to stop the bleeding.

"Yield and I shall let you live." Hotaru told her.

"Shut up!" She hissed. Her leg shot out, kicking his legs out. He planted his naginata firmly into the ground, using it to partially retain his balance as he landed on one knee.

Li Mei launched herself forward with several punches, the last of which he blocked by catching her wrist. He yanked her downwards, allowing her face to connect with his knee. He then backhanded her with such force that she fell onto her side. She lifted her head, giving everyone a good view of her bruised, bloodstained visage. She used her sleeve to wipe away the blood, though she only succeeded in smearing blood across her facial features.

"My offer still stands." Despite the lack of emotion his countenance displayed, irritation filled his voice.

She laughed humorlessly and spat blood."And I shall repeat my previous answer: shut up!"

"Hotaru!" Raiden called, getting his attention. The deity wore a dark look."She has made her decision. Put her in her place."

The ghost of a smile touched Hotaru's lips."With pleasure." Because he was distracted in conversing with Raiden, he failed to notice that Li Mei had risen until she spun backwards to kick him in an almost impossible fashion. Again he used his naginata to maintain his balance.

Li Mei recovered her Kunlun Dao. Hotaru held his naginata sideways to parry her attack. He was so engrossed in preventing her blade from getting past his naginata that he didn't notice her forming an energy ball. The projectile hit his forehead. He grunted, bringing a hand to rub the sore spot.

The pommel of Li Mei's sword was slammed into his arm, accompanied by three punches from the same fist to his chest. His armor protected him from serious injury, yet his yelps conveyed that the strikes nevertheless pained him.

Li Mei performed a backflip kick which sent Hotaru sprawling to the floor. She took six steps forward before somersaulting, her blade pointed downwards and aimed for his face as she descended.

Hotaru rolled aside. Li Mei grunted in frustration as her sword impaled the spot where his head previously rested. She was so busy trying to pull the sword out that she forgot about her opponent. Hotaru didn't waste his chance; he swung his naginata, the blunt end striking her so hard her helmet was knocked off. Her dark tresses fell over her bloodshot eyes, giving her the appearance of a madwoman from Earthrealm horror films when combined with the blood staining her facial features as she glowered at him with clenched teeth.

He swung his naginata, this time using the sharp end. Li Mei leaned back, wincing as the tip of the blade cut her cheek. She backflipped, forgetting to retrieve her weapon. Hotaru charged, delivering multiple swings that she dodged by spinning and jumping. She thrust her elbow into his chin and jabbed him in the nose. Then she swept him off his feet.

Hurrying to reclaim her Kunlun Dao, Li Mei was unable to stop Hotaru from throwing his naginata at her. She barely dodged it. As Hotaru approached, she hopped atop his naginata and extended her leg to kick him in the chest, making him stumble. She removed the naginata from the ground and started swinging it in the vain hope she would strike him.

Catching the naginata with both hands, Hotaru kneed Li Mei in the groin, forcing her to release the weapon. She sped toward her sword. Instead of following, Hotaru fired another magma ball. Although Li Mei leapt over it and picked up her sword, she couldn't react swiftly enough to avoid her helmet which had been flung at her by Hotaru. She fell with a shriek after the helmet collided loudly with her broken nose. Hotaru kicked her sword away.

Li Mei moaned in agony as she got on all fours, panting heavily.

"You denied my offer of mercy twice." Hotaru stated icily."I have no intention of offering it thrice."

"As if I ever had any interest in accepting it." She retorted, hissing at him like a snake.

Hotaru raised his naginata. Luckily for the obstinate woman, she was able to move out of the way. She rose, trembling and obviously in pain, yet unwilling to admit defeat. Not that she had that option anymore. Baraka **almost** pitied her. Mileena did not share the sentiment; she giggled in glee at Li Mei's suffering. Tanya smirkingly watched, sharing Mileena's opinion. Raiden and Shang Tsung cackled to the point that their stomachs hurt. Li Mei's comrades were nervous wrecks. Everyone else, including Hotaru, wore bland looks.

Li Mei plodded backwards whilst Hotaru advanced. Her Kunlun Dao was too far to reach, meaning she'd have to finish this fight sans a weapon. She twisted to evade his swings. What she did not anticipate was him performing a stepping heel kick. She fell onto her stomach. He then uppercut her into the air. As she was descending, he fired as many magma balls as he could, all of which struck their intended target. He placed his naginata behind him and backed away, watching as she staggered to her feet. Confused that he hadn't attacked yet too eager to ponder his actions, she sprinted straight towards him, creating two energy balls as she ran.

Unalarmed by his adversary's increasing closeness, Hotaru clenched his fists. Just when Li Mei was about to launch her projectiles, he raised both arms in her direction and unclenched his fists. Bursts of plasma erupted from his palms, blinding Li Mei. She screeched as she shielded her eyes with her arm, somehow managing to avoid failing.

"I cannot see!" She screamed.

"Exactly." The word was spoken in an ice cold whisper by Hotaru. He drew his naginata, pointed it at Li Mei, and charged.

"No!" Bo' Rai Cho exclaimed.

"Li Mei, look out!" Erron Black shouted pointlessly.

"She cannot **see** anything!" Kenshi reminded the mercenary. His son promptly told him he wasn't helping.

Li Mei rubbed her eyes, blinked, and nearly too late she realized what Black was warning her about. Though she succeeded in avoiding getting impaled, she tripped.

Hotaru's hand shot out, catching Li Mei's throat in a chokehold that lifted her off her feet. She tried to punch him, but he dropped his naginata so he could use his other hand to catch her fist. After head butting her, he flung her aside. The clanking of her armor as she hit the floor made Baraka flinch.

Li Mei did not get up. Her closed eyes and soft moans indicated that she was half-conscious. Hotaru approached his defeated opponent.

"Finish her!" Raiden ordered."So that she may join her people in death."

"Yes, finish me." Li Mei murmured despairingly, not fighting the tears that cascaded down her cheeks."I deserve death...for failing to avenge them. Just make it swift."

Raising his naginata, Hotaru prepared to deliver the killing blow.

Quick as a flash, Black drew his gun and fired two shots near Hotaru's feet, causing the Seidan to jump. The gunslinger rushed to Li Mei's aid with Kotal, Bo' Rai Cho, and Ermac at his heels. The Osh-Teki stood protectively in front of Li Mei as she was tended to by the other three men.

"Have you not put her through enough?" Kotal demanded.

Raiden appeared alongside Hotaru, pointing furiously at Kotal."The rules-"

Kotal snorted."If you can get away with flouting the rules, so can we."

Li Mei slipped into unconscious after being picked up bridal style in Black's arms. Her Kunlun Dao was retrieved by Ermac. Bo' Rai Cho patted her shoulder.

Kotal turned his back to his enemies and motioned his comrades to leave. He looked at Liu Kang."Please inform us if we are called to fight." Liu Kang nodded in response.

"That **was** very amusing, empress." Tanya whispered to Mileena.

"Agreed." Mileena nodded."Don't you agree, Baraka?"

Baraka pretended not to hear her. When Mileena asked if he was alright, he hesitated to reply. Thankfully, Shang Tsung interrupted him.

"The next match shall be..." Shang Tsung paused to raise his eyebrows."Unless we have another challenger, that is?" He glanced hopefully at Liu Kang and Jade/Delia, neither of whom responded."Very well. As I was saying, the next match shall be...Ruby vs Baraka!"

"What?!" Skarlet half-whispered, half-screamed. The construct looked at Daegon, whose eye was wide and jaw clenched in similar outrage. Mavado choked on his own breath. Goro didn't care.

"Lord Raiden!" Skarlet shouted, unconcerned with the scene she was making.

Raiden appeared immediately after his name was uttered."Problem?" The Thunder God asked quizzically.

"You promised **me** that **I** would kill Ruby." She made no attempt to hide her indignation.

"Care to explain?" Impatience surrounded every word that left Daegon's mouth.

Raiden shrugged nonchalantly."I lied." He stated the obvious, showing zero remorse for his deception. Not giving them the opportunity to respond, he teleported to his original position. Skarlet sputtered, exchanging incredulous ganders with Daegon and Mavado.

"Baraka!" Raiden beckoned the Tarkatan."What are you waiting for?"

"Yes, what are you waiting for?" Tanya echoed in mock agreement. Baraka would have murdered her right then and there if Mileena hadn't stepped in front of him and grasped his hands.

"Make me proud, Baraka." The clone said, smiling beneath her mask. She scowled in Ruby's direction."Kill that traitorous beast and bring me her head."

Baraka bowed."Gladly, empress."

Skarlet grabbed his arm, causing him to give her an annoyed look."Do not underestimate her." She said as if he were a child requiring advice on how to walk.

He yanked his arm from her grip."She will be easy to best."

"I thought the same thing when we fought, only to lose." Skarlet stated."Your arrogance will cause you to lose as well." She did not wait for an answer, instead returning to her previous location.

Baraka marched determinedly to the stage where Ruby awaited his arrival. He drew his blades and snarled at her.

"Skarlet seems upset that she didn't get to fight me." Ruby noted. The Edenian was clad in her usual long-sleeved leotard in addition to gloves, arm-guards, pants, and leather combat boots. Each article of clothing was red. Her ash brown hair was tied into a loose ponytail.

"To be honest," Ruby continued,", I'm just as discontent as she is. I'd rather fight someone with **some** degree of intelligence. Alas, I have to battle you instead." Cracking her knuckles, she sighed. Baraka noticed the sigh was not theatrical. Rather, it was a sigh expressing pity."It's not too late to defect. Kitana is willing to show the Tarkatans mercy if they return to our side."

Baraka couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Kitana ask Ruby to tell him this? Or was she saying this of her own accord? Perhaps both. Regardless, it infuriated him."I will never betray my empress."

Ruby scoffed."Your 'empress' hasn't been an empress for years. Even during her reign she didn't rule."

"Do not dare slander her!" Baraka hissed. Anyone who spoke ill of his empress would die the most painful death possible. Already he was imagining her screams as he slew her.

"She chose that treacherous whore over you, yet you refuse to cease defending her?"

"I shall enjoy putting her head on a stick." Mileena said darkly."Make her suffer more than Hotaru made Li Mei suffer!"

"I've seen dogs with more self-respect than you." Ruby muttered."You jump at her beck and call. Maybe your kind deserves to be extinct."

"Fight!" Raiden and Shang Tsung yelled, startling both kombatants. Baraka recovered from his startled state first and charged with both blades pointed at Ruby's chest.

Ruby barely managed to backflip out of the way in time, causing his blades to impale the ground where she previously stood. He turned his head to look at her, grunting when the bottom of her boot met his face. The attack was followed by her jumping up to wrap her legs around his arm, twisting her body, and slamming him headfirst into the ground.

Rising, Baraka began madly slashing at Ruby, who backflipped to dodge each attack until she realized she was nearing the edge of the arena where she risked falling. As she performed another backflip, her leg shot out to kick Baraka in the chest. She landed on one knee and backed closer to the edge. When Baraka charged at her, she performed a midair split, allowing him to dash underneath her and almost fall out of the arena. Luckily, he realized what he was doing and spun around on his heel as she landed to kick her in the back. She fell onto her stomach, rolling when he tried to stab her.

"You're smarter than most people give you credit for." Ruby told him as she delivered a roundhouse kick that he dodged.

"Your habit of uttering barbs has not not changed, I see." He stated gruffly.

"Change isn't my thing." Her statement was followed by a cartwheel kick that made him stagger back.

Leaning backwards to evade a swing aimed at her throat, Ruby jabbed at him. Dodging, Baraka slashed at her throat once more. She let herself fall onto her back with a gasp. He planted his foot on her chest to pin her down and raised an arm to stab her. Thinking quickly, she lifted her leg to kick him in the back of the head, stunning him. Getting into a handstand, she gave him a two-footed kick to the gut. Then she backflipped, allowing the tips of her boots to hit his chin. Growling, Baraka staggered back. He could hear Mileena cheering for him, giving him the mental strength he needed to continue this fight.

Ruby circled him as she concentrated on predicting what he would do. Baraka lunged at her with a speed even he didn't know he possessed. Although Ruby caught one wrist to prevent him from stabbing her in between the eyes, she could not parry the slash he delivered to her shoulder. When he attempted to use his free arm to stab her in the back, she shoved him, spun on her heels, and roundhouse kicked him with so much force that he was knocked down. He caught her ankle to parry a kick and tugged, tripping her. She slapped him when he got on top of her and pushed him off.

She bounced on the balls of her feet after standing. Baraka backed away, knelt, and scraped his blades together to fire sparks at her. Ruby shielded her face with her arms, grunting in pain despite the protection her arms-guards provided. Baraka swung, hoping to decapitate her. Though he failed to separate her head from her neck, he succeeded in cutting her cheek slightly. She gasped and covered the fresh wound, the blood on her red glove almost invisible. When he repeated the decapitation attempt, she deliberately went into kneeling position. Baraka looked down at her to be greeted with an uppercut that sent him into the air. Getting onto her back, Ruby kicked him eight times when he was close enough, then completed the assault by double-kicking him back into the air. She jumped to her feet and moved away before he landed hard on the arena floor. She lifted her leg to bring it down upon him, yelping when he tripped her.

Baraka waited for Ruby to stand. Once she did, he spun like a top with his blades extended. The red-clad woman reacted too late; her arms came up to protect to her face seconds later than necessary, resulting in her receiving two cuts: one flesh wound on the forehead and another just beneath her nose. She was fortunate not to have a slashed throat.

Plunging his blades into the floor, Baraka used them to hoist himself off the ground, and extended both of his legs to kick Ruby in the chest, sending her flying near the edge of the arena. Her head grazed the edge. Ruby shakily stood.

"You'll have to do better than that to beat me." She didn't wait for him to answer, instead dropping to the floor and sliding straight towards the Tarkatan to trip him. As he fell, she punched him in the eye, evoking a grunt from him. He could feel his eye beginning to swell shut, yet he'd suffered worse injuries in the past; this would not bring him down.

Reaching out, he grabbed her ponytail to her yank backwards. She repeatedly elbowed him in the gut, yet he only tightened his grip. Raising an arm and aiming for her heart, he thrust down. Although she twisted herself in a way that prevented the blade from penetrating her chest, it left a gash on her side. She whimpered in pain.

Still gripping Ruby's ponytail, Baraka slammed her head into the ground. A muffled scream escaped her lips.

Baraka glanced at the audience, feeling savage delight at the sight of Jade, Kitana, and Rain so terrified for Ruby's wellbeing they all blanched. Mileena dropped to her knees in a tearful cackling fit.

"Good work, Baraka!" She said in between cackles.

"Good work, Baraka!" Ruby mimicked, her voice muffled.

"Silence!" Baraka slammed Ruby's head into the ground again and prepared to end her existence with one stab. Ruby elbowed him in the nose, giving herself the opportunity to flee as he recovered.

Baraka slashed at her. She brought up an arm microseconds too late, causing her glove a receive tiny gash. She cursed."I'm going to have to fix this later." She grumbled, frowning at her glove.

Baraka laughed."An impossible task for a dead woman."

"I'm not dying today, and certainly not by your hand."

"Edenians are as foolish as they are untrustworthy."

Ruby smiled."We're still smarter than the Tarkatans. That's for sure. Then again, who **isn't** smarter than your kind?"

"I will cut out your tongue!"

He lunged at her. She caught his wrists to stop his blades mere inches from her face. He pressed further. In desperation, she sped forwards, forcing him to rapidly move backwards. Baraka pulled his wrists from her grasp and jumped to shoot three shards at her. One zipped past her to leave a cut on her cheek while the other two impaled her shoulders.

Baraka rushed forward to kick Ruby in the gut, winding her. She started to collapse as he grabbed her ponytail, tore a shard from her shoulder, and plunged a blade into said shoulder. Slowly, he removed the blade, snap-kicked her off the ground, and jumped up to kick her in the chest. Upon landing, she rolled until she reached the edge of the arena. She did not rise.

Raiden smirked at Rain."She refused to tell me where you where during my attack on the Edenian Resistance." Then he looked at Kitana."You cannot save her this time." He finally turned to Baraka."Finish her!"

Rain shook his head vehemently."No. She is too stubborn to die." He whispered. Kitana and Jade yelled at Ruby to get up. The trio clearly knew their denial was pointless.

Mileena and Tanya were clapping, the latter grudgingly so.

"Bring me her head, Baraka!" Mileena ordered.

Kitana, Jade, and Rain looked away, not wanting to see their fellow Edenian die.

Satisfaction burned within Baraka as he approached the red-clad woman. He glanced arrogantly at Skarlet, who was shaking her head as if trying to warn him. He ignored her.

Raising his arm, Baraka was about to finish his opponent...

...when Ruby's eyes snapped open and her leg shot out, kicking him as hard as possible in the knee.

Baraka's eyes became as wide as saucers as he **felt** his kneecap shatter and cried out in agony.

"Earthrealmers call that playing possum." Ruby winked at her shocked yet relieved comrades.

Jumping, Ruby wrapped her legs around Baraka's neck, slammed her hands into the floor, and tossed him with as much strength as she could muster out of the arena, sending him flying into Mileena and Tanya. The three crashed into a wall and ended up piled on top of each other like bricks on the floor.

"I believe I've won this match." Ruby coolly said to Raiden and Shang Tsung, whose jaws were dropped. She turned her back to them, removed the second shard from her other shoulder, and sauntered out of the arena.

Skarlet stood akimbo over Baraka, Mileena, and Tanya."I warned you." That being said, she walked away.

"Baraka!" Raiden shouted as he flew towards the Tarkatan. His red eyes were narrowed furiously, his fists were clenched, and his teeth ground together."You have failed me."

"And me as well!" Mileena added as she let Tanya help her up. The Edenian glared at him from the corner of her eye.

Raiden carelessly waved his arm."Get out of my sight."

Baraka gulped."Yes, Lord Raiden." He cast a glance at Shao Kahn, knowing that beneath his expressionless visage, he was also livid.

With slumped shoulders, Baraka limped away from his angry superiors. Had anyone been listening closely, they would have heard him whisper four words to express his shame.

"I am a failure."

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:** Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Rain, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Takeda, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:** Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tasia, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Kia, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _It shouldn't be surprising that Li Mei lost. While physically, she was fit to fight, she was an emotional wreck. The revenants are too, but the difference between them and her is that they snapped out of their "Don't You Dare Pity Me" stage and accepted others' comfort/help. Li Mei, however, won't listen to anyone who tries to reason with her. As traumatized as everybody else is, they aren't letting their emotions overcome them and guide their actions. Li Mei is; she's so consumed by ire/grief/vengeance that she's closed herself off from her comrades and refuses to see how it's worsening her mental health. As I said, losing her people contributes to her character development and like the others, she has growth to do before she stands a chance against Hotaru._

 _Anyone else pity Baraka during this chapter? I certainly did and I'm the one who wrote it._

 _Wow. Raiden lied to his own allies. How unsurprising is that?_

 _And so concludes the first tournament chapter._ _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _airnaruto45_ _\- Anything can happen :P_

 _AXZ-Universe - Sorry about your dad, darling. I'm not sure what I'd do if I could travel in time. The possibilities are endless. Taven and Rain still have much character development to do, but at least they aren't at each other's throats anymore. Raiden's always a dick. I dislike how most yanderes are female, so I made Noob one for variety's sake._

 _Guest - Jade's conversation with Smoke happened offscreen. I left what he called her in Czech ambiguous for later revelation. Yes, Taven was referring to Jade when he said she treats him like a younger sibling._

 _CharlieFreak180 - Regarding Kevin, you'll have to wait and see. Ermac is_ _definitely_ _the calm kombatant. I had him lose half his souls because I wanted to include Shang Tsung without killing off Ermac._

 _kingofswing - That's basically what Raiden is to his ex-allies._

 _Bro - Dark Raiden **is** pretty creepy. Rain's still a jerk, but even he knows when to take things seriously. I hope you enjoyed this chapter ;)_

 _Guest - And like an annoying younger sibling, Taven isn't gonna let Jade hear the end of it._

 _Next up: Chapter 74:Kitana II_


	75. Chapter 74:Kitana II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Innocence, Once Lost, Can Never Be Regained. Darkness, Once Gazed Upon, Can Never Be Lost."  
— John Milton

 **Chapter 74:Kitana II**

* * *

Innocence.

It was a foreign concept to Kitana. Nothing about her was innocent. Assassins were not innocent. Revenants were not innocent. She'd been raised by her father's murderer, trained to be his greatest assassin, unknowingly fought her own people, murdered by her own mother, resurrected to become a murderess herself, and briefly ruled Hell, the place which housed beings who were the polar opposite of innocent.

How much blood was on her hands? How many innocents had she slain? As an assassin for Shao Kahn, she killed with a stony mien. As a revenant for Quan Chi, she laughed in her victims' faces in response to their pleas for mercy. Sometimes she would calm them with a kiss on the cheek, then stepped back to watch them scream in agony before they exploded in a shower of gore. The praise she received from Quan Chi for her loyalty that formerly pleased her now disgusted her.

Her enthusiasm for committing atrocities matched the excitement children displayed when playing games. She was the monster parents warned their children about, not the beautiful princess from fairytales. Those princesses were innocent, and she was not. She had killed in cold blood and enjoyed it. Those were the traits of a monster.

What had she done to deserve the love, respect, and devotion of her people? That was the question she and Sindel asked themselves as well as each other. Even before their freedom from Quan Chi's spell, the Edenian Resistance displayed no hostility to the undead queen and princess, acting as though their saving grace had finally come. It was perplexing.

Adjusting to the return of her emotions was difficult. Sareena's question about Jade caused her to shed her first tear in years. Seeing Jade again caused her long-suppressed emotions to explode. Then there was the conversation with Jerrod...

Kitana hadn't known her true father's identity for centuries, yet talking to him made her feel as if she'd known him forever. Once this conflict was over, the ritual to separate Jerrod and Delia's souls from their host bodies could be performed; then she would fully have her best friend and father back.

Her heart yearned for her mother, who'd stayed in Outworld to lead the Edenians. Sindel, remaining firm in her decision for Kitana to become queen of Edenia once this conflict was over, declared herself queen regent in Kitana's absence. Prior to the tournament participants' departure, Sindel hugged her daughter, stating that everyone had a duty to fulfill. Sindel's duty was to stay and prepare for war. Kitana's duty was to fight for their people's honor alongside her comrades.

Sighing, Kitana tossed a stone that skipped thrice across the water. Sitting on either side of her were Jade and Ruby. Jade used Delia's telekinesis to toss stones, prompting Ruby (who multitasked by working on fixing the gash in her glove and tossing stones) to jokingly accuse her of cheating. Rain had treated Ruby's wounds after her fight against Baraka. Despite the red-clad woman's insistence that she was fine, her occasional winces conveyed her discomfort.

The three women watched the sunset, just like when they were children. Kitana thought about how things had changed since they last sat together this way. Right before she and Jade left to accompany Shang Tsung at the tournament, the trio gathered in their old spot at the battlements to gossip as they'd done during their childhood until training put an end to those activities. None of them knew that would their final conversation, as Jade and Kitana died defending Earthrealm, leaving Ruby alone.

"She's brooding again, Jade." Ruby said, not looking up from her task.

"I noticed." Jade replied.

"I am not brooding." Kitana said unconvincingly as she stroked the grass.

"Sister, we grew up together; we can tell when one of us is upset." Jade stated.

Putting down her glove, thread, and needle, Ruby scooted closer to Kitana. Jade copied the red-clad woman's action and draped an arm around Kitana's shoulders.

"The nightmares are getting worse." Jade wasn't asking. Rather, she was stating a fact.

Kitana bit her bottom lip until she drew blood. Tears pricked her eyelids. Trembles shot through her body. She shook her head, desperate not to cry. She did not **deserve** to cry. She **deserved** to rot in the fifth plane of the Netherrealm, not to weep with her friends providing comfort.

Jade pulled Kitana into an embrace, allowing the princess to bury her face in her shoulder."Holding it in only makes it worse." She whispered into her ear.

Kitana let the tears fall. Her sobs were muffled by Jade's shoulder. She clung to the green-clad woman, allowing herself to be rocked back and forth.

"I should have stayed dead." She hissed."I do not deserve to weep. The people I murdered should be given a second chance at life, not me. You should not have-"

"Kitana." Jade's stern voice interrupted her.

Leaning back, Jade gripped Kitana's shoulders and looked her directly in the eye."An existence without my friends is not worth living. I did not know my parents. They gave me as a gift to Shao Kahn when I was an infant to gain his favor. I later discovered that Shao Kahn killed them immediately afterwards. They can rot in the Netherrealm. They sacrificed me as if I were an object instead of their child."

"And my father, whom I didn't know, hated me." Ruby said."He blamed me for my mother's death and wanted nothing to do with me. You and Jade are the closest thing I have to family. When you died, a part of me died too." She took Kitana's hand in both of hers."I thought I'd never see you again after I last encountered you as a revenant, but then you saved me from Raiden and you comforted Ferra while she cried over Torr's comatose state. As I watched you do that, I didn't see a cold-blooded killer. I saw the girl I befriended so many years ago...and I hoped she'd return." She smiled, squeezing Kitana's hand."And she did. She came back. Here she is. Right in front of me. I spent years mourning you and Jade. Now I've got you both back. I'll be damned if I lose you again."

"You are stuck with us, sister." Jade teased, making Kitana chortle. She used her cloak to wipe the tears from her friend's face."And vice versa." She continued."We are in this together. Do not forget that you are not the only one whose soul is darkened by sins."

"That's an understatement." Ruby said."We served Shao Kahn, doing horrible things in his name. Hell, I allied myself with Mileena for Elder Gods' sake! When Rain reformed the Edenian Resistance, he went to me for help because he knew the Edenians wouldn't trust him, Tanya, or Mileena. They loved you, though, and my connection to you earned me their trust. I could endure the two traitors. Mileena, however, was a nightmare. She constantly mocked you to remind us that she wasn't you." She scoffed."As if we **needed** a reminder. Rain and I got the worst of it due my friendship with you and his romantic feelings for you. Mileena reveled in tormenting us. It felt like a dream come true when Rain revealed his plan to kill Mileena via Shinnok's amulet. She was **supposed** to die in what appeared to be a heroic sacrifice in front of the Tarkatans to keep them on our side, but that part of the plan failed. Afterwards, I told Rain that he and Tanya were on their own and unless they formed with a new plan, I'd take our fellow Edenians and defect. Everyone was shocked when he decided to go to the Netherrealm to plead for your help and well, you know the rest of the story..." She trailed off.

Kitana patted Ruby's leg."I am sorry you had to suffer that."

"Don't be." Ruby responded."You can't undo the past."

"That does not assuage the anguish." Kitana whispered.

"No, it doesn't." Ruby sighed. Then she smiled wanly."But it helps to know you're not alone in this."

"Why do our people adore me?" Kitana asked, truly baffled."I've done nothing to earn their loyalty and love."

"People believe what they wish to believe." Jade said."Our people want to believe that you are their savior. The same applies to Sindel. They have endured so much hardship that they have come to realize they have nothing to lose by placing their faith in you."

"It's true." Ruby concurred."Your family has always been a symbol of hope for the Edenian Resistance. **You** , specifically, represent a new beginning for our people. In times like these, we need someone to look up to. Who better than our princess/soon-to-be queen?"

Picking up a stone without using telekinesis, Jade placed it into Kitana's hand."Take the hope you symbolize to others, and use it to give yourself hope."

Tightening her grip on the stone, Kitana tossed it. A smile brightened her features as she watched the stone bounce six times before sinking. Extending her hand, Jade summoned the stones out of the water and gathered them in a pile so the game of throwing them could begin anew.

Kitana was about to throw her stone when footsteps touched her ears. Her friends heard the footfalls as well. Kung Lao, Nightwolf, Smoke, Kabal, Kung Jin, Kai, and Bo' Rai Cho emerged from the bushes. The worried-looking men approached the female group.

"Have you seen Liu Kang?" Kung Lao asked."We cannot find him anywhere."

Kitana shook her head."Not since the conclusion of today's matches."

"It's like he vanished into thin air." Kai said, frowning."One minute he was sparring with me, the next he left while my back was turned."

Nightwolf grimaced."It has been difficult for him. More so than for the rest of us. Mayhap he needs some time alone."

"The last thing he needs at this moment is to be alone." Bo' Rai Chi argued.

"That is the last thing any of us currently need." Smoke agreed with Bo' Rai Chi.

"You know what I just realized?" Ruby uttered thoughtfully."I haven't seen Rain since the conclusion of today's matches either."

Kabal looked at Kung Lao."How much you wanna bet that lover boy decided to have a chat with Rain?"

"I would bet my hat on it." Kung Lao said. Kung Jin snickered into his hand, eliciting a grin from his cousin.

"Do not jump to conclusions." Kitana said, standing."Allow me to look for him. Liu Kang has made it clear that he trusts me to handle the situation how I see fit, which is precisely what I've done."

"Simply discussing Rain's unrequited feelings for you and making him promise not to let them distract him from our objective does not guarantee anything, especially when keeping in mind his less than honest history." Nightwolf said matter-of-factly.

"He has a point." Ruby said, having returned to the task of fixing her glove."This is Rain we're talking about, after all." Jade nodded in agreement.

Kitana rolled her eyes."I am ignoring you all." She marched away from them, paying no attention to the snickers she heard behind her.

As Kitana strolled through the gardens whilst searching for Liu Kang, she noticed she was nearing the spot where they'd officially met. She'd seen him as merely an arrogant Earthrealmer. Ergo, she was surprised (and vexed) when he did not take her attacking him seriously. Her vexation increased when he brazenly kicked her in the backside **twice**! She was further taken aback as well as touched when he refused to kill her. Although her disdain for Earthrealmers remained, she felt that Liu Kang was different. After she witnessed Kung Lao's murder at Shao Kahn's hands, her opinion changed completely.

She was so distracted by her musings that she tripped over a twig. Chuckling at her own clumsiness, she rose and brushed the dirt off her skirt. That was when she heard a pair of familiar voices nearby. She slowly walked closer to the source of the voices. Her eyes widened upon spotting Liu Kang and Rain. She hid behind a tree to avoid being spotted.

Neither man displayed hostility toward the other. Rain stood in front of the statue of Goro with his back facing Liu Kang, who was frowning at the horizon. Silence consumed the air. Kabal and Kung Lao wouldn't cease teasing her if she told them of this...

"We both love her." Liu Kang broke the silence. He didn't look at Rain as he spoke, nor did Rain look at him.

Rain stiffened."Indeed." His voice was barely a whisper."Is this where you met her?" He asked, waving an arm toward the beautiful scenery.

The ghost of a smile touched Liu Kang's lips."She tried to kill me here."

"And she failed."

"She wanted me to kill her for her failure."

"How fortunate that you spared her." No sarcasm touched Rain's tone."I remember when I first met her, both as a baby before Edenia's fall and as an adult. In the latter case, she stood beside Shao Kahn as I negotiated with him the price for my betrayal of the Edenian Resistance. When she exited the room, he sweetened the deal by offering me her hand in marriage in addition to leadership of an army. I believed his lies. After the Edenian Resistance's fall, he created excuses for the delay in fulfilling his promises. I soon realized he had deceived me, but it was too late to undo my mistakes, so I stayed in his service to stay close to Kitana. Although she did not trust me for obvious reasons, she was not cruel to me. Her beauty, kindness, and fierceness made me fall in love with her. I thought she was unaware of my affections. Imagine my shock when she revealed she was well aware of my feelings for her." He swallowed thickly."I resented/envied you for a long time. I believed if she had not met you, she would have grown to love me, but I see now I was wrong. Even if she did not ever meet or fall in love with you, she would still never return my love. Perhaps that is for the best. She deserves better than a traitor such as myself." He turned to face Liu Kang."She loves you. I must accept that."

The demigod ran his hands down his face as he exhaled deeply. His expression became solemn. The two men made eye contact.

"Take care of her." Rain murmured. Quietly, he added,"Please." He wasn't commanding or threatening the champion, but begging him. None of the arrogance or disdain he was known for expressing to those he thought beneath him was present in his voice. With his stiff posture and wistful smile beneath his mask, he was the very picture of sadness.

Liu Kang nodded."Always." His tone was quieter than Rain's.

Hesitantly, Kitana stepped out from behind the tree and began approaching them. Her footfalls attracted their attention, causing them to look in her direction.

Rain stepped backwards, his gaze glued to the ground. He was doing everything he could to not look at her. Kitana glanced back and forth between them. She opened her mouth, but closed it. She wanted to speak, yet her brain could find no words to utter. Eventually, she fixed Rain with a pitying stare. The hydromancer continued to avoid looking at the princess.

Raising his arm, Rain teleported. She swore she saw a tear run down his cheek before he vanished. In that moment, Kitana pitied Rain, and she could tell by Liu Kang's visage that he shared the sentiment.

Alone with Liu Kang, Kitana moved her gaze to him. Meeting her gaze, he extended his hand. She ambled towards him to accept his hand. As she thumbed his knuckles, he said,"He loves you.", in the softest tone she'd ever heard him use. He was stating the obvious.

"His love is unrequited." Now it was her turn to state the obvious. She brought a hand to caress his face. Catching her wrist, he pushed it down and pulled his hand from her grasp. He walked closer to the water with her following him.

Liu Kang glanced at Kitana over his shoulder."Traitor or not, he is an Edenian."

Kitana frowned."I do not-"

"He has more years to give you than I. You are over 10,000 years old. You will live for several more centuries. So will Rain. I will not."

Kitana's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all they'd been through together, Liu Kang wanted her to leave him for someone else?!

"I said I would take care of you." He sounded like he was forcing the words out."Perhaps the best way to do that is spare you the pain of losing me later."

Kitana started shaking. She fought against the tears that threatened to return and swallowed down the sobs that begged to be released."There is no guarantee we will survive this war." Her voice was thick."We must do whatever it takes to defeat Raiden, including sacrifice ourselves."

"And if we survive?" Bitterness and harshness surrounded every syllable that left his mouth as he turned to face her."What then?" He demanded.

"We will find a way." Kitana didn't care how naive or desperate she sounded. She believed her own words and was determined to make him believe as well. Liu Kang opened his mouth, but she interrupted him by pressing her finger to his lips.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered against his lips,"As revenants, we conquered and ruled the Netherrealm together. We led our fellow revenants together. We are still leading them together after being revived. We fight together. We stand together. I am yours, and you're mine." She put a hand over his heart."If we die, we die together. If we live, we live together. Everything we do, we do together."

Liu Kang tentatively grasped her wrist. He tilted her chin up with his fingers."Together." He agreed, then leaned in. She met him halfway, pressing her lips against his in a gentle kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly. They tightened their arms around each other.

Whatever happened, they would face it together.

* * *

 _I took some inspiration from Jon x Ygritte's_ _conversation when I wrote the_ _conversation between Liu Kang and Kitana. Both pairings are my OTPs. I will go down with those ships! XD_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _SwifteForeverAndAlways - Kitana's my favorite character too. Takeda is adorable._

 _Snafu the Great - How do you think his allies other feel after seeing him blatantly admit to lying._

 _AXZ-Universe - I'm glad you enjoyed his interactions with Tanya. You're right; ashamed or not, he'd never let Tanya win. Li Mei "pulling a Scorpion" is especially ironic when you recall that Hanzo warned her not to repeat his mistakes._

 _Lightrunner - Baraka's blind loyalty is definitely his greatest weakness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, fellow Kitana fan! ;)_

 _Taja - I pity them too and I'm the one responsible for their suffering._

 _Kid - Thanks!_

 _Christopewa - Good question. Alas, I cannot answer it without spoilers. Sorry._

 _BrutusPrimas - Only time will tell what I have in store for Baraka._

 _CharlieFreak180 - If you watch Kenshi's Deception ending, you'll know the attack **temporarily** blinds the victim. Remember I said she blinked and almost too late realized Erron was warning her that Hotaru charging at her, so her sight is fine. LiBlack, huh? I like it! Cassie and Kevin are too injured (Kevin also has no Kombat training). Johnny is recovering from his injuries from Shinnok's invasion. Sonya chose to stay with her family in Outworld. I made this clear several chapters ago._

 _Copymith - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter despite Baraka losing, although he did put up a good fight._

 _Guest - That was a truly epic idea, but don't expect it to happen. You know my evilness by now ;)_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 75:Vera Briggs_


	76. Chapter 75:Vera Briggs

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Then she had been a fiancee, a young wife, and a mother, and she had discovered that these words were far too small ever to contain the experience."  
— Kim Edwards (The Memory Keeper's Daughter)

 **Chapter 75:Vera Briggs**

* * *

Apathy.

This was what Vera Briggs felt as she wandered the palace halls. She didn't care how pitiful she looked hugging herself and staring straight ahead with vacant eyes, nor did she pay attention to the pitying stares of the guards she passed. She didn't want their pity. She wanted her family, wanted Jax's arms wrapped around her, wanted Jacqui safe in her embrace...what she wanted was unattainable.

Her husband and daughter were participating in a tournament against an insane deity who used to be their friend. If they lost their matches, they risked death. Vera had lost Jax once. The thought of it reoccurring in addition to losing Jacqui distressed her. She remembered how she broke down after Sonya delivered the news of Jax's demise, how Sonya held her as they wept together, how she ran into his arms after he was restored to life, how she arrived seconds before he would've pulled the trigger to kill himself, how she forced him to drop the gun, how she screamed at him for daring to consider making her grieve for him again, how she tearfully revealed her pregnancy, how he embraced and repeatedly apologized for nearly rendering their child fatherless...

Vera shook her head. Ruminating on these matters wouldn't assuage the pain. Tightening her arms around herself, she imagined that Jax was embracing her. She hadn't thought she would ever miss those cold, metal arms, yet now she would give anything to have them press her to his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat.

Her pace quickened. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms to draw blood and her knuckles blanched. She glared at any guard who dared look at her. Anger consumed her in that moment and she longed to release it. She didn't care who or what fell victim to her ire. She just wanted to let it out. She clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle a sob. Her breaths came in pants as she shut her eyes to fight the tears pricking her eyelids.

She started running. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to get away from the looks she was receiving. Tears now freely cascaded down her cheeks in spite of her efforts to suppress them. Her sobs increased in volume. She brought her hands to her face, blocking her sight, and unsurprisingly she tripped.

A gasp left Vera's lips as she put her hands out to break her fall. A thud echoed off the walls as Vera landed on the cold floor. It didn't physically hurt due to the mental pain she was suffering from. There were no guards nearby, for which she was grateful. She didn't want anyone to see her like this.

Chills ran down her spine. Soon she began trembling as if she'd gone outside naked during the coldest day in winter. Frigidness would have been preferable to this emotional overwhelmingness, though.

Letting herself fall onto her side, she curled into a ball. Her tresses fell over her tearstained face. She buried her face in the crook of her arm, choking on sobs as she cried. Each sob she released made her feel as if someone held her heart in an iron tight grip that continually increased in tightness. Coughs and whimpers escaped her throat in between sobs.

She didn't care how selfish or pathetic it was of her to break down. All she could think about was her family. Damn selflessness. Damn Raiden. Damn Kano. Damn strength. She wasn't a warrior, but a normal person who'd gotten involved with people who were the polar opposite of normal.

Despite the grief she suffered, she didn't regret anything. Never would she regret falling in love with and marrying Jax or birthing his child. Even though she lost him for two years, she didn't regret him. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, as the saying went.

The smallest of smiles touched her features as she recalled how Jax proposed a few years into their relationship. So simple a proposal it had been with him kneeling in front of her and presenting her with the ring, yet so beautiful at the same time. Jacqui's birth was the sole event to outdo that joy. Videotapes/photos weren't needed to remember her daughter's first words and steps when she remembered every important moment in the girl's life as if everything had happened yesterday.

For what seemed like hours, Vera lay there, weeping. Eventually, she stopped crying. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and ignored her throbbing headache. Shakily, she rose before continuing to wander the hall. Dumbbells might as well have been chained to her ankles with the slow manner in which she moved.

"Aunt Vera?" A familiar voice uttered as she walked past one section of the infirmary. She froze in her tracks and spun around on her heel to return to the doorway. Even before she did so, she knew Cassie had spoken her name.

"Aunt Vera?" Cassie repeated. She lay in bed, looking at Vera with her one eye that wasn't swollen shut, though the swelling was starting to lessen. The bruising on her broken nose was fading along with her other less serious injuries. Her broken hand, which was still in a blue cast matching her eye color, and her cracked ribs would take more time to heal, however.

Cassie extended her unbroken hand, pleadingly beckoning the older woman. Vera approached the blonde's bed and sat in the chair at her bedside.

"How are you feeling, Cass?" Vera asked.

Cassie ignored the question, frowning."You've been crying." She gestured to Vera's red, puffy eyes.

Vera shifted in her seat."I'm just worried about Jax and Jacqui."

Biting her lip, Cassie nodded."Me too." She tentatively patted Vera's hand."They'll be okay. Uncle Jax is too stubborn to die again and Jacqui's no different."

Vera smiled wanly. Other than her, Sub-Zero was the only one aware of Jax's suicide attempt. Jax had come close to breaking. The first she saw him give a genuine smile after his suicide attempt was when baby Jacqui was placed into his arms for the very first time. He'd cradled the infant in his arms while tearfully glancing back and forth at his wife and newborn daughter. Seeing him so happy made Vera happy and brought her hope as well. They would get through this, she told herself, and they did.

Jax never raised a hand or yelled at Jacqui. The girl initially resented his strictness, but that changed once she discovered his past as a revenant. Her immediate reaction to this revelation? She ran to her father, hugged him with all her strength, told him nonstop that she loved him, and called him 'daddy'.

The sound of someone grunting snapped her from her thoughts. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Kevin grunting in his sleep. Cassie opened her mouth, probably to call his name to rouse him, but closes it when he suddenly relaxed and settled back into peaceful slumber. After several minutes of silence, Cassie sighed.

"He doesn't sleep much." Her eyes remained on the boy as she spoke."And when he does sleep, he gets nightmares."

Vera grimaced."I can see that."

"He doesn't talk either." Cassie continued."Unless you count the occasional grunts or cries, that is. When I met him, he nodded his head or blinked in response to whatever I said. At least now he's writing things down to communicate. It's not the same as speaking, but it's a start."

"I think it'll be awhile before he decides to talk." Vera said."He's experiencing elective mutism."

"Yeah. I figured that out when he blinked twice after I asked if he was mute or choosing not to talk to me. I guess it's his way of coping with the trauma. I just wish I could somehow help him."

"You **did** help him." At Cassie's confused expression, she said,"Your mother told your Uncle Jax and I about how you convinced him not to let Kano win. He was ready to die. You gave him a reason to live."

"Like you and Jacqui gave Uncle Jax a reason to live?"

"Yeah." Vera said, forcing a smile onto her face."Something like that." If only Cassie knew the truth...

"You should get some rest." Vera told Cassie, wanting to leave. Just talking about her family upset her. She didn't wait for a reply from Cassie, instead speed-walking to the exit and returning to her quarters. Again, she avoided the gazes of the guards she passed on her way there.

Upon reaching her room, Vera slammed the door shut, leaned against it, slid into sitting position on the floor, and pulled her knees to her chest. Although she didn't cry anymore that night, she also didn't sleep at all.

* * *

 _I feel like this was a 'meh' chapter. The beginning was interesting to write, but it quickly became dull to me. Then again, I tend to worry that all my chapters are dull. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this filler._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _SwifteForeverAndAlways - I'm glad you enjoyed it._

 _Taja - Always a pleasure hearing from you, darling. ;)_

 _Vorpax - I think that only applied until he was killed by Raiden so when he's restored to normal life, his aging process would return to normal._

 _CharlieFreak180 - I cannot imagine anyone using that quote here._ _I have mixed feelings about Zack Snyder movies_ _. Let Guest_ _unleash their imagination. You know by now I thrive on surprising my readers. I won't do bloopers, but I will write something more lighthearted after this. There will be more LiBlack interactions ;)_

 _AXZ-Universe - Jade's MK9 bio states that her parents gave her to Shao Kahn. I revealed that Ruby was hated by her father earlier in the story. I hope this chapter was to your liking ;)_

 _Guest 1 -_ _I've got big plans for the final battle...which won't happen for awhile :P_

 _Anonymous92 - Thanks for reviewing! I hope you read my other story. I'm not a Zelda fan, but I looked at the fanfic you mentioned. Not cup my of tea, but well-written/interesting._

 _Guest 2 - He'll have to get in line ;)_

 _Guest 3 - Thank you very much! :) Don't worry. Baraka will get his chance to shine._

 _Killphill - A bit of both._

 _Next up: Chapter 76:Daegon II_


	77. Chapter 76:Daegon II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"Not all who hesitate are lost. The psyche has many secrets in reserve. And these are not disclosed unless required."  
— Joseph Campbell (The Hero With a Thousand Faces)

 **Chapter 76:Daegon II**

* * *

Hesitation.

Loath as Daegon was to admit it, the same hesitation he mocked Delia for allowing to cause her downfall now affected him. It kept him awake at night and consumed his thoughts. He hated this feeling, hated that nothing assuaged the vexation this hesitation caused. Meditation, wine, and training, the three things that normally solaced him, provided no solace. Mavado's revival granted him some relief, but not as much as it should have considering the grief he suffered after his right-hand man's death.

He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't relax, couldn't do anything due to the memories replaying in his mind. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw his father's head rolling across the floor, heard his mother's scream, saw the hesitation in her eyes that prevented her from killing him, heard her last words, recalled how Caro asked what he'd become...he remembered everything as if it were yesterday.

Amnesia would have been preferable to this agonizing remembrance. All of it flashed before his eye and echoed in his ears. The memories wouldn't leave his mind, denying him the tranquillity he sought.

Damn his mother and brother. Was this their goal? To madden him? To make him question everything he'd done for the last several centuries? If so, he commended them for-

No. He did **not** feel guilty, he did not regret killing the man who never showed him an ounce of respect or love. His sole regret was giving Argus the quick death he never saw coming and Delia the slow one. That was all he'd change. This hesitation would ebb away. If he told himself that enough times, he'd eventually believe it.

For an hour now, he had been sitting in the middle of Shang Tsung's Garden, inhaling the fresh air and listening to the chirping of the birds as he tried to meditate. Of course, trying didn't guarantee success, as he learned during what was doubtless the longest hour of his existence. And that was saying something, given his age.

Sighing, he rose. After running a hand down his face, he crossed his arms and turned to admire the waterfalls. The garden's peacefulness completely contrasted his inner turmoil. Everything he did or contemplated doing worsened the turmoil.

Ironic, was it not, that by murdering his parents, forming the Red Dragon Clan, and committing numerous crimes, he proved Argus correct? Bitter, mirthless laughter left his lips. It didn't matter what he did or didn't do; earning Argus's approval was equal in difficulty to telling water not to be wet. At least that was the case with him. Not for Taven, however. Taven was the infallible, perfect son.

Daegon sighed. He sounded like a disgruntled child. The young man desperately seeking his father's approval was long gone. There was no point in reviving him.

When he swung the sword to decapitate Argus in a blind rage, he thought it would feel good to end the man who never loved or respected him, but the murder brought him no satisfaction, only additional bitterness. His teeth dug into his bottom lip with such force it was a wonder they didn't draw blood.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, uncertain why he was ruminating on these topics. Dwelling on the past was futile.

Lightning struck, snapping him from his musings. Raiden appeared, looking very pleased with himself.

"Today's matches will soon begin." Raiden explained."I came to fetch you."

"Will you break your word again?" Daegon asked.

Raiden frowned quizzically before realization dawned upon him."Your construct is still grousing, I take it."

"Her name is Skarlet." Daegon said irritably."You disrespected her."

Scoffing, Raiden started to reply before Daegon interrupted him.

"Disrespecting one of my own is the equivalent of disrespecting me." He stated."I don't take kindly to disrespect."

Raiden shook his head."Now is not the time for prattle."

"Discussing your blatant confession to deception and disrespect is hardly prattle."

"This discussion is over." Raiden said sternly. Lifting his arm, he teleported them to the arena. Immediately afterwards, he teleported to reappear by Shang Tsung's throne.

Raiden opted not to orate today, knowing his ex-allies would interrupt him. He smiled as he spoke."The first match of the day shall be Takeda Takahashi..." His smile broadened so much that it became a smirk."...vs Daegon."

Kenshi choked on his own breath. Takeda and Daegon widened their eyes, the former recovering from his surprise first. Takeda scowled, to which Daegon responded by frowning.

He had requested Takeda Takahashi as a prisoner to torture. Raiden fulfilled **his** request, but not Skarlet's? Oh no, that was **not** how it worked. He had promised to fulfill **all** of their promises, not break one and keep another.

What was the Earthrealm phrase? Kissing up? Yes, that was it. Raiden assumed he could suppress Daegon's indignation by giving him the opportunity to harm Kenshi's bastard. A clever choice, but also a desperate one.

Kenshi grasped Takeda's shoulders and began advising him on how to win (and survive) his match. Raiden beckoned Daegon, who drew his sword as he marched to the stage with a thin smile teasing his lips. Raiden appeared in front of him, eyes flickering to the Takahashi duo and Scorpion, who'd stepped forward to wish his student luck.

"Hanzo Hasashi betrayed me. Kenshi Takahashi betrayed you. And now Takeda shall suffer for both of their betrayals." The deity snickered."Kill him. Give him a slow, gruesome, painful death in front of those two fools."

Smiling, Daegon nodded."I promise he will suffer."

Raiden returned to his previous location and smirked at Scorpion."I warned you not to betray me, Hanzo Hasashi." He said in a low, menacing whisper. The ex-spectre narrowed his eyes, but offered no further response.

"Nothing to say, boy?" Daegon queried, running a finger over the surface of his sword.

"Your family may hesitate to put you down, but I won't!" Takeda hissed.

"I gathered that much." He replied dryly, placing one hand behind his back to form a fireball while holding his sword in the other. He allowed his smile to widen in spite of himself."Let's see if you're as good as your father and adoptive father."

"Oh, I'm better." Takeda sneered.

"We shall see."

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled.

Daegon brought up his sword to block a swing from Takeda's whip. He backed away as the young telepath continued swinging his whips at him. When Takeda finally paused, Daegon launched his fireball, hitting him in the chest. Takeda yelped as he staggered back and struggled to regain his footing. Daegon charged with his sword held overhead. He swung for his opponent's neck, the tip of his blade missing by inches as Takeda vanished. Daegon was confused for a second, but quickly realized the boy had teleported. Question was where?

His question received an answer when Takeda reappeared behind him. He spun around to parry a punch. Takeda teleported again, trip-kicking Daegon into the air before he could react. He was prevented from teleporting a third time by Daegon throwing a fireball that he dodged by spinning out of the way. Right after Daegon landed, Takeda lashed out with his whips at a low angle to snatch his ankles, tripping him. A grunt escaped Daegon's lips as he landed on the floor. He tried to cut the whips to free his ankles. This proved unnecessary, as an alarmed Takeda yanked them back, freeing the Edenian's ankles.

The boy definitely inherited Kenshi's powers and fighting skills. Then there was his training under Scorpion to remember...

"That all you got?" Takeda taunted.

"Not even close." No sooner had the sentence left his mouth, than he was rolling toward his opponent to deliver an uppercut that sent him into the air. Takeda launched a single spear downwards at Daegon and followed up with a dive-kick. Daegon blindly swung his sword as he fell, hearing Takeda gasp. He jumped to his feet, unable to suppress a smirk upon noticing that he'd slashed Takeda's arm, causing him to drop his whips. His response to the Red Dragon leader's smirk was to throw an explosive kunai between his feet before hurrying to retrieve his whips. Daegon kicked the kunai at Takeda, who screamed as he was knocked back by the blast from his own weapon.

"Hoist by your own petard, is the correct phrase, yes?" Daegon half-tauntingly inquired.

"Son of a bitch." Takeda cursed, wobbling slightly as he stood. He used telekinesis to summon his whips into his hands.

Daegon rolled his eye."I never understood that insult. Whom are you insulting? Me? Or my mother?"

Takeda opened his mouth, closing it once he realized the accuracy of Daegon's remark. A scoff escaped him."I'm gonna pretend I didn't just agree with you there."

"Pretending means escaping reality."

"That's kinda ironic coming from the guy who formed a criminal clan and hunted down his own brother because he was upset that daddy didn't ever hug him."

Although the remark struck a nerve within the demigod, he calmly raised an eyebrow and riposted,"At least I was not abandoned." Though he mentally admitted to wishing he had been abandoned by Argus. There he went sounding like a disgruntled child again...

"My dad had his reasons." Takeda pointed furiously at him."Among those reasons was the fact that you murdered my mom and made him go on the run!"

"He shouldn't have betrayed me." He said, cold as ice."I give betrayers the punishment they deserve."

"Even if innocent people die in the process?"

Daegon clenched his jaw."Enough prattle." He beckoned the telepath."Let's see what else you can do."

Takeda launched his whip to catch his adversary's wrist, after which he dragged him over with a spin tug. Whilst he spun toward Takeda, Daegon swung his arm to successfully backhand him with an aflame hand. Then he slammed the pommel of his sword into the telepath's forehead. Both attacks evoked pained, surprised yelps from Kenshi's bastard.

Takeda's knee suddenly met his stomach twice. The boy flipped himself over and behind his opponent while grabbing his arm in an attempt to break it. Daegon caught his wrist, tossed him over his shoulder, and raised his sword to impale him. Takeda thrust his hands upwards, knocking Daegon down via a telekinetic burst. Both warriors hurriedly rose with Takeda retrieving his whips.

Spinning backwards, Daegon subsequently shot forward with a powerful punch that knocked Takeda backwards. He charged, crouched, and rammed Takeda with his shoulder. Takeda planted his feet firmly onto the floor to regain his balance. Even though Daegon ducked beneath a swing, this was merely a distraction. The moment he looked up, he was greeted with a rapid flurry of whip strikes. He caught one whip and launched a fireball that zipped over Takeda's head, singeing the tips of his hair. Daegon roughly yanked the whip he was still gripping, causing Takeda to fall face first. He picked up the other whip and tossed both of them out of the arena.

Charging, Takeda unleashed a flurry of rapid punches into Daegon's abdomen. Daegon headbutted him and grabbed his throat in a chokehold that lifted him off his feet. Takeda futilely attempted to pry the Red Dragon leader's fingers from his throat.

"You cannot use your telekinesis if you cannot breathe." Daegon said, tightening his hold.

"Thanks for the info, Captain Obvious!" Takeda wheezed. His gasps grew louder and his skin slowly blued.

"No!" Kenshi cried. Daegon glanced at the swordsman from the corner of his eye, noticing the equally distraught Jacqueline Briggs and Scorpion. Takeda took advantage of his foe's distracted state to punch him in the eye. Grunting, Daegon released Takeda, who landed on his knees in a violent coughing fit as he rubbed his throat. As he stood, he drew twin plasma swords, using them to block a fireball.

"My turn." He said, grinning. Clashing his plasma blades, he released a projectile beam which Daegon sidestepped, then charged. Daegon held his sword sideways against both of Takeda's blades. They both grunted as they struggled to throw each other off balance. The struggle lasted for an entire minute until Daegon finally gathered sufficient strength to shove Takeda away.

Takeda swung his blades in a rising arch, sending Daegon into the air, though the demigod managed to kick him in the head. Stunned by the blow, Takeda fell. Still airborne, Daegon blasted a fireball which Takeda dodged by rolling aside. He landed right as Takeda returned to his feet.

Teleporting, he reappeared near Daegon. Immediately, Daegon thrust his palm into his chin, clenched the hand he'd used to do so into a fist, and uppercut him. As the telepath started to ascend, Daegon jumped up to plant his feet on his chest, pinning him down. He stepped on Takeda's gorge before he could use telekinesis.

"Oh, come on!" Takeda groaned.

"I doubt you can teleport if you cannot breathe either." Daegon remarked.

"Captain Obvious has struck again!" Takeda quipped. Daegon responded by shifting his weight onto his leg to increase the pressure, nearly crushing Takeda's larynx.

Lifting his sword over his head, Daegon thrust it downwards, slower than expected, allowing Takeda to catch the blade with his hands. His gauntlets protected him from harm. He tightly gripped the blade, then pushed it upwards. The pommel hit Daegon's chin, and he stumbled back.

Takeda attacked with a double swing from both plasma swords, following up with a rising strike. Parrying the attacks, Daegon threw Takeda off balance and kicked one plasma sword from his grasp. Then he spun on his heel to roundhouse kick him in the head. The younger Takahashi crashed into the ground with a yelp. Daegon stomped on his back, making him scream. He grabbed the boy's hair, yanked him into sitting position, moved his grip to Takeda's arm, and flung him to the ground. When Takeda tried to kick him, he dropped his sword to catch his ankle and flipped him onto his side. Takeda used his free leg to kick Daegon in the face and wiggled his other leg out of the Edenian's grip before jumping to his feet.

Takeda somersaulted over Daegon to kick his spine, performed a sweeping kick, and delivered an axe kick which Daegon barely dodged by rolling aside. Grabbing Takeda's arm, he half-flung, half-shoved him toward the edge of the arena, but Takeda slid to a stop and spun around on his heel in the nick of time. He teleported, reappearing above Daegon to dropkick him. The demigod moved away to dodge the attack before Takeda landed and summoned his plasma swords back into his hands. He threw the hilt of one plasma sword under his opponent afore telekinetically calling the spinning plasma blade back to him while knocking Daegon into the air. Takeda teleported, reappearing in midair to thrust the blades at Daegon's chest. Daegon caught his wrists, stopping the blades from impaling his chest. He crashed into the ground with Takeda atop him.

Daegon kicked Takeda in the stomach, winding him, and pressed an aflame palm to his chin. Screaming, Takeda fell back and dropped his weapons, allowing Daegon to pick up the blades and toss them out of the arena.

Daegon caught Takeda's fist as he threw a punch, spun him around, and held his arm in an iron tight grip. Then, at the speed of lightning, he slammed his fist into Takeda's arm.

A bloodcurdling cry pierced the air, though it did not muffle the crack which emitted from Takeda's newly broken limb.

Horrified gasps sounded from the audience in addition to Raiden's laughter.

Releasing Takeda, Daegon let him fall to the floor. The telepath whimpered as he clutched his fractured arm and writhed in agony. Daegon retrieved his sword, not bothering to rush since he knew he was the winner of this match. By the time he returned, the exhausted and defeated Takeda had managed to sit up, but was in too much pain to stand on his own.

"I am impressed." Daegon admitted."You fought well, and with honor."

Takeda scoffed and spat at the demigod's feet."What do you know about honor?" He questioned scathingly.

"Finish him!" Raiden ordered.

"No." Daegon responded evenly. Then he turned to leave, but Raiden blocked his path.

"You promised me that you would kill him!" The Thunder God hissed. His eyebrows rose."Care to explain?" He uttered the same question Daegon had yesterday, so Daegon felt it fitting to respond similarly.

The demigod gave a nonchalant shrug and looked Raiden dead in the eye. "I lied." He said in the most deadpan tone he could muster. Raiden's eyes instantly widened as he sputtered in disbelief. Sheathing his sword, Daegon brushed past the deity and left the arena, ignoring the stares he was receiving from his fellow kombatants, particularly his mother and brother. His lieutenants followed closely behind him.

As soon as the doors to Shang Tsung's throne room closed, Daegon heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow. Skarlet stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Is it truly wise to arouse Raiden's anger by defying him in public?" She asked, frowning beneath her mask. Mavado inclined his head to convey his agreement with her concerns.

Goro scoffed."Idiotic is what it is."

"And amusing." Another voice interjected, directing the group's attention to the doorway where Havik, the one who'd uttered the comment, stood with Nitara and D'Vorah hurrying inside before the doors closed.

Havik snickered."His expression when you responded the way you did was priceless."

"Indeed." D'Vorah agreed as she patted the slug on her arm.

"Daegon." Nitara said, biting her lip as she shifted uncomfortably in place. Daegon gave her a quizzical look. She sighed."If Raiden would lie about something so simple," She gestured to Skarlet,", what else could he be lying about?"

She posed a good question, and he would be lying if he denied sharing her thoughts. Just as he started to respond, however, Raiden appeared with the rest of their allies. It did not take a genius to figure out the Thunder God was livid. He shoved Skarlet aside and leaned forward so his face was inches from Daegon's.

"What was that?!" He hissed like a snake.

Daegon crossed his arms."I believe Earthrealmers call that giving someone a taste of their own medicine." He said dryly.

Raiden gawked at him. His incredulity quickly became ire, and ire soon became slyness as an ugly grin formed on his facial features. Despite himself, Daegon began to grow uncomfortable and wondered if he'd pushed Raiden a bit too far. He'd seen that kind of grin on Raiden's visage in the present as well as on Shinnok's visage in the past enough times to worry about what thoughts were forming within its wearer's mind.

Raiden inhaled and exhaled deeply, as if to calm himself. His grin faded, though the malicious glint in his eyes remained."Answer something for me: do you view my breaking of my promise to Skarlet as a betrayal? I am well aware of your hatred for betrayal, after all."

Daegon wasn't certain he wanted to find out where Raiden was going with this, but he had no choice, so he nodded curtly and replied,"Indeed I do."

"Is it not hypocritical of you to judge me for something so small when you nearly defected mere days ago?" Raiden asked, cold as ice. Daegon sucked in a breath. How had he **not** seen that coming? Of course Raiden would play that card.

Everyone except for Hotaru was taken aback by Raiden's revelation.

"Ya almost defected?!" Kano exclaimed, gaping at the demigod alongside his lieutenants.

"Daegon, what is he talking about?" Skarlet demanded.

"Grandmaster?" Mavado added, equally concerned and incredulous.

Goro displayed no concern, only curiosity and surprise.

"He did not even tell his trusted lieutenants." Hotaru said in an emotionless tone that contrasted the slight quirk in his mouth.

"Allow me to explain." Raiden spoke, now completely serious."A few days ago, Delia convinced Daegon to come to her temple to converse. Taven was also there. After great persistence on Delia and Taven's parts, they were able to convince Daegon to defect. He was just about to take Delia's hand when I revealed myself. Had I not done so and talked some sense into him, he would have defected."

Reiko made no effort to suppress a grin rivaling Raiden's in terms of arrogance. Daegon scowled at him. Ignoring him, Reiko knowingly grinned at Skarlet. Mavado shot him a threatening look that he ignored.

"Ha!" Kano laughed, pointing at his rival."What I fucking tell ya?" He said to his lieutenants."Mama's boy!"

"Shut up." Daegon growled through gritted teeth. Kano marched up to him and laughed in his face; he cringed as the cyber-eyed mercenary's saliva landed on his skin.

Undaunted, Kano continued,"Ya know, I've heard that mother of yours is a real milf." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully."Maybe once she's somehow returned to her old body after we win, I'll have some fun with-"

With a roar, Daegon violently pinned Kano against a pillar, one arm pressed to his neck as he coughed and wheezed. Daegon shook with fury and fixed Kano with such an enraged stare it was a wonder Kano hadn't been reduced to a pile of ashes.

"Say that again." Daegon's voice trembled harder than his body."I dare you."

"Let him go, Daegon." Raiden ordered."Now." He added when Daegon ignored him. Then he shouted,"I said now!"

Daegon gasped when lightning struck him from behind. He ground his teeth, briefly enduring the agony before it became too much and he recoiled from Kano, who continued laughing in between coughs.

"Get up." Raiden commanded. Not wanting to be electrocuted anew, he obeyed."Turn around." He obeyed once more. Raiden stepped closer to him."I am inclined to agree with Kano; you clearly still care for your mother." He lifted a hand to prevent Deagon from interrupting."You wish to prove us wrong? Look me in the eye and tell me that you do not feel an ounce of hesitation."

Daegon clenched his fists. Shakily, he raised his head, made eye contact with Raiden, opened his mouth...and closed it when he realized he couldn't do it.

"Like I said, mama's boy." Kano jeered.

"Ponder where you stand, Daegon." Raiden said. He gestured to the door."Come. We must finish today's matches." He said to the others.

With the exception of Mavado, everyone exited the room. Skarlet crossed her arms and gave Daegon a hurt look as she scuttled outside. Daegon rubbed his temples as Mavado put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mavado." Raiden barked, beckoning him.

"Am I to fight next?" Mavado asked.

"No."

"Then I will stay." He said firmly. Although annoyed, Raiden offered no protest and left.

Mavado waited for the door to close, then asked,"Why didn't you tell us?" Daegon stayed silent."You've been distant and taciturn since I returned. From what Skarlet has told me, I understand this has been happening for awhile. Now I know why. Or am I wrong?"

"You are not wrong." Daegon reluctantly admitted.

Mavado snorted."To quote Kenshi's bastard, 'Captain Obvious has struck again'." His hand slipped from Daegon's shoulder. He moved to stand beside him."Sleepless nights, reliance on alcohol, distancing yourself from others, inability to relax...those are just some of your recent problems."

"My personal problems are nothing you should be concerned about." Though he immediately regretted his harsh tone, Daegon continued speaking."I am not in need of mothering from-"

"Mothering?!" Mavado now stood directly in front of him."How is expressing concern for my leader considered mothering?!" He crossed his arms."You brought the others and I up from nothing and have done your best to look out for us and you find the idea of us wanting to look out for you in return offensive and/or unlikely?!" He scoffed."Pardon me for finding **that** idea ridiculous." He sighed and shook his head."Elder Gods, your stubbornness hasn't changed." He whispered in fond exasperation.

"I could say the same about you." Daegon retorted, earning a smirk from Mavado. This caused him to give his own smirk."Thank you." He grudgingly muttered.

"She'll get over it." Mavado stated quietly, referring to Skarlet."It'd be rather hypocritical of her to judge you for hiding the truth when she's guilty of the same thing."

"What?" Daegon demanded in a flat tone that contrasted his shock.

Mavado then told him everything.

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Rain, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tasia, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Kia, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _Apologies for the wait. L_ _ife has been kicking my backside lately. Hope this was worth the wait._

 _I've seen other writers post their status on their profiles so that's what I'm gonna do for my stories. If you're curious about my progress in the next chapter, look at my profile._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _AXZ-Universe - It's okay. Given this story's length, it's understandable to forget some things._

 _CharlieFreak180_ \- _Thanks, I guess. What about this story reminds you of Zack Snyder movies, particularly Watchmen? I haven't watched that one. I was still working on this chapter at the time of your review. Like I said, my life is currently very busy so I don't have as much free time as I'd like to have and did before to write._

 _Killphill - Don't worry. I have more planned beyond them brooding. This story isn't under the genres Drama/Angst for nothing ;)_

 _Superbat32 - Yes and I'm aware of the similarities between Dark Raiden and Superman here._

 _Anonymous92 - Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 77:Jarek_


	78. Chapter 77:Jarek

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"A man who fights you as he does is no better than an opportunist and no worse than a thug."  
— Kristin Cashore (Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1))

 **Chapter 77:Jarek**

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Kevin.

Ever since he first laid eyes on the boy, Jarek hated him. The mere thought of the boy's name made his blood boil. He was a disgrace to the Black Dragon, and a weakling.

Weaklings didn't deserve to live. Kano had taught him that. In order to live, one must know how to survive. Kevin knew nothing of survival. He was too soft. Softness equalled weakness, and weakness needed to be eliminated. Strength, ruthlessness, and sadism were the traits of a survivor, of someone worthy of life. Kevin was no survivor, merely a punching bag with a hole that increased in size with each hit it received.

The kid could hit, Jarek grudgingly admitted, but adrenaline had aided him. Were it not for that, he wouldn't have struck Jarek as hard as he had. Jarek intended to remind him of that once they finally got their hands on the brat again.

Jarek was somewhat relieved Kevin failed Kano's 'classes'. If he'd passed, he would have stolen Jarek's place as second-in-command of the Black Dragon Clan, as well as Kano's favorite. That had been his biggest fear, so he breathed a sigh of relief when it soon became obvious Kevin could not be freed from weakness. Kano was right; Kevin was a waste of space not worth wasting precious time and energy on. If he couldn't handle the first few classes, he wouldn't have lasted a day when things really got intense. He would have died if Sonya, Kira, and Cassie hadn't intervened to save him.

Cassie. Jarek grimaced at the thought of her. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Kevin suddenly seemed more keen on living than rotting away in his cell. Cassie had persuaded him to live, likely to avenge his kidnapping and torture at Kano's hands. His body and mind would take time to heal, and he would need a mentor to teach him how to fight. Yet who would agree to train that broken mess of a human being? According to Kano, Kabal would be too haunted by the knowledge that his beloved and most hated enemy were the boy's parents to accept him and given what a coward Kevin had been when he met the Black Dragons, he'd shit himself if he ever saw Kabal's face. Though he hadn't known Kabal, Jarek trusted Kano's judgement.

Jarek exchanged smirks with his fellow criminals as they returned outside to continue the tournament. The satisfaction of seeing Daegon humiliated served as satisfactory payback for him embarrassing them in front of their minions not too long ago. Daegon seemed to have decided to stay inside to hide from the judgmental stares of his allies and enemies. Mavado chose to stay with him.

"How badly do you think his pride has been wounded?" Jarek asked.

Tasia tittered."Honestly? He probably won't show his face for the rest of the day."

"Heh." Tremor snorted."It is refreshing to see the shoe on the other foot."

"Ya got that right." Kobra agreed.

"Don't get too hasty." Kano said."Daegon may be on thin ice with Raiden, but so are we. Don't forget that Daegon won his match despite his refusal to kill Takeda. We gotta beat and kill our opponents to rise above him."

"You are not wrong." Tremor concurred, nodding."Raiden is still angry at us for losing Cassandra Cage. Getting back into his good graces will be difficult."

"Like I said, kill whoever we fight as brutally as possible unless told otherwise, and we'll eventually get our old positions back." Kano said.

Tasia bit her lip."Do you think it's possible Daegon will defect like Scorpion did? Scorpion participated in the attack on the Lin Kuei and they accepted him as an ally. What's to stop the demigod from doing the same? Or Nitara, for that matter?"

"Or D'Vorah." Jarek added.

"Or Havik." Tremor said.

"Those three are pretty clever." Kobra said."And they've got every reason to defect. Just because Daegon didn't defect before doesn't mean he won't next time."

"Fear may prevent Nitara and D'Vorah from taking any risks with Raiden." Tremor said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully."Havik, on the other hand, I am not sure what to think of him."

"Raiden's been paranoid since Scorpion's defection, right?" Jarek asked rhetorically."He's worried someone will betray him. What better way to prove our loyalty than expose a traitor?"

Tasia pressed her lips together."Not a bad idea."

Tremor nodded."We keep an eye on our fellow enforcers to see if they plot betrayal and should we discover that they are..."

"We tell Raiden." Kano finished."Gonna need proof first, though, or else he might not believe us."

"That's why we have such great technology." Tasia said, smirking.

Kano laughed."Good point." He assented." Alright. Starting tomorrow, we put our plan into action."

Shang Tsung stood from his throne to announce the next fight."The next match shall be Jacqueline Briggs vs Tasia!"

"This should be fun." Tasia remarked as she drew her swords."I assume this is the 'unless told otherwise' circumstance?"

"Yep." Kano replied with a snicker."Try not to damage her too much. Or else she won't be as fun to play with."

"Both occasions should be fun to watch." Tremor said amusedly. He'd never been interested in intimacy, so he didn't participate in rape, but torture of any kind, regardless of whether he participated, was entertaining to him.

"I'll be careful." Tasia promised."Just remember to share, boys, because I intend to play with her as well." She winked before heading to the arena where Jacqui was waiting for her.

"Are you as tough as your dad?" Tasia inquired casually.

Jacqui's eyes narrowed."You'll just have to find out."

"Oh, I am definitely gonna enjoy breaking you." Tasia purred.

"I told you your family would suffer, Jackson Briggs." Raiden said to Jax, who would have snapped if a glance from his daughter hadn't stopped him.

Jacqui adopted a fighting stance and beckoned the dark-haired woman."Bring it on, bitch."

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled.

Immediately, Jacqui dashed forward with an uppercut that sent Tasia into the air. She leapt toward her falling opponent to land a punch to the spine.

Tasia landed face first on the floor, somehow managing to not drop her swords. Sneering, she rose."Not bad." She admitted."But not enough."

Jacqui held her open hands forward while charging her gauntlets with electricity before releasing an electrical charge. Tasia disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing in midair above Jacqui and descending toward the girl with both swords pointed downwards. Jacqui released another electrical charge that Tasia avoided by teleporting. She reappeared behind Jacqui, who spun around on her heel to throw a punch to the face that caused Tasia's head to snap back. Tasia staggered back with a growl. When Jacqui moved to punch her again, she jumped up to deliver a jumping roundhouse kick to the head that knocked the daughter of Jax down.

Planting her foot on Jacqui's chest, Tasia raised her blades. In desperation, Jacqui kicked out the leg that wasn't on her chest to trip the older woman. She rolled away as Tasia planted her sword into the floor to break her fall. Both women quickly returned to their feet, but Jacqui attacked first by firing a single shotgun blast at a low angle at Tasia's feet. Tasia teleported to reappear in front of her, headbutted her, and swung her sword at her neck. Jacqui ducked beneath the blade. After punching Tasia in the stomach, she delivered a four-hit combo which ended with a kick that knocked her away.

Jacqui jumped into the air, coming back down with a double-fisted ground pound that shook the arena. Tasia, who'd just managed to stand after being knocked away, lost her footing. Her swords clattered to the floor as she put out her hands to break her fall. She teleported while releasing several homing energy projectiles. Clashing her gauntlets, Jacqui used them to absorb two projectiles and reflect two others at Tasia after she reappeared in the same place as before. A scream left Tasia's lips as she was struck down by her own projectiles.

Slamming her gauntlets together, Jacqui ignited them in an electrical current and charged at her fallen opponent. Tasia recovered in time to roll aside before Jacqui's fist hit the spot where her head previously rested. Reaching out, she grabbed the girl's ponytail to pull her closer and elbowed her in the back of the head. Afterwards, she grasped her arm, threw her to the floor onto her back, and hurried to retrieve her blades.

Groaning, Jacqui sat up. Her eyes widened when she saw Tasia charging at her. She leaned backwards as Tasia slashed at her face; the tip of the blade grazed her nose. She grabbed the blade, then caught the other when Tasia swung it at her neck. Lifting her leg, she kicked Tasia in the knee. Tasia bellowed in pain and surprise whilst falling on her backside. Jacqui tackled her and grabbed her throat with an electrified hand to electrocute her. Shrieking in agony and anger, Tasia backhanded her. Jacqui grunted as she touched her cheek, which now sported a bruise and scratch from Tasia's nails. Tasia then kneed her in the gut, stood up, moved to stand behind her, knelt down, clamped a hand around the nape of her neck, and slammed her head into the ground. A muffled scream escaped Jacqui's lips.

Jax would have intervened right then and there if Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kitana hadn't restrained him. Kano pointed and laughed at him.

Chuckling, Tasia lifted Jacqui's head from the floor and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Not so tough now, are you, little girl?" She spoke in a sickly sweet tone of voice.

Rather than respond verbally, Jacqui delivered an unexpected reverse headbutt. Gasping, Tasia released the girl and brought a hand to her forehead to rub the sore spot. Jacqui swiftly rose and put some distance between them before unleashing a short burst of rapid fire machine gun rounds from her gauntlet. Tasia scrambled to avoid the rounds and ran to retrieve her swords whilst barely avoiding the additional shotgun rounds Jacqui was firing at her.

Right after retrieving her weapons, Tasia teleported. Jacqui's eyes flickered around the place as she tried to figure out where Tasia would appear. The female Black Dragon member appeared directly behind Jacqui and wasted no time in slashing her across the back. Jacqui screamed, crumbling to her knees and whimpering as blood began to seep from the wound.

Tasia chortled."I'll take that as a 'yes' response to my earlier question." She said wryly.

"Fuck you." Jacqui half-growled, half-whimpered.

"Get away from her!" Jax shouted. Raiden launched a lightning bolt at the man which brought him to his knees.

"Take the girl." The deity told Tasia."Let her father suffer for opposing me. Her mother will be next."

"Oh hell no!" Jacqui whispered, shaking her head. Tasia dropped a sword and reached out to grab her, but Jacqui caught her off guard by twisting around to fire a shotgun round into her shoulder. Yelping, Tasia dropped her sword and pressed a prosthetic hand to the wound.

"No way in hell you're gonna do to me what you did to Cass and Kevin!" Jacqui spat. She then began charging her gauntlets with as much electricity as possible whilst advancing on her foe. Then she blasted the largest electrical charge she could create at Tasia.

Tasia screeched at the top of her lungs as she was electrocuted. Although the attack only lasted for ten seconds, it felt like hours to Jarek and his fellow onlookers.

Finally, the agony ended for Tasia, and she let out a moan before collapsing. She did not rise.

Jacqui gave the scowling Raiden a smug smirk. She weakly started to make her way out of the arena, but tiredness and pain caused her to trip. Jax ran to catch her.

"Told ya I'd be fine." She said teasingly.

Jax shook his head. Sighing, he picked his daughter up and carried her away.

"I am **not** healing her!" Raiden hissed, pointing at Tasia.

"That didn't end well." Kobra muttered.

Jarek snorted."Ya don't say?" He drawled sarcastically.

Kano and Tremor both facepalmed.

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Rain, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Kia, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _CharlieFreak180 - Torr recently awoke from a coma. Ferra cannot fight without him, so they stayed behind. The good guys are now ahead. I appreciate your love for my writing, but I have a life outside of fanfiction. Admittedly, I have been guilty of rushing others in the past and I regret that._ _I've come to understand the struggles of balancing this hobby with real life. My life is currently busy with family matters, school, and working on my non-fanfic writing, so please don't rush me._

 _AXZ-Universe - I don't blame you for hating him. He's a second-rate Kano wannabe. NRS was too lazy to give him his own moves in MK4 but wanted to introduce another new character so they put Kano under a different name. Luckily, Armageddon changed that._

 _Superbat32 - Oh, I'm sorry. I've heard people compare them so I automatically assumed. TBH, I haven't thought about it until you mentioned it. After Injustice 2 comes out, maybe I'll start brainstorming but I want to finish Desperation and get at least 1/2 of A New Beginning done before starting a new big project._

 _Bro - Thanks. No need to apologize. Cannot answer that because that'd be spoiling. Oh, and not a man._

 _Guest - Interesting comparison. Now I have the Samurai Jack song stuck in my head ;)_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 78:Cassie Cage II_


	79. Chapter 78:Cassie Cage II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  
— Marcel Proust

 **Chapter 78:Cassie Cage II**

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A scream roused her.

Cassie's eyes snapped open. She pushed herself up into sitting position on the arm of her unbroken hand. Unsurprisingly, she was greeted by the sight of a panting, trembling, and sweaty Kevin who'd evidently awoken from a nightmare. A wide-eyed expression of terror was plastered on his face as he sat there, pale as a ghost.

Cassie hesitantly called out to him."Kevin?" Her voice snapped him back into reality. He turned his head to look at her. She clutched her broken hand to her chest and gave him a pitying stare.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a murmur, understanding the pointlessness of the question yet determined to pose it nonetheless.

Shutting his eyes, he shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest. Tears ran down his cheeks as he buried his face in his knees. Cassie wanted to hug him and promise everything would be alright. How could she, though? How could she tell someone who'd been conceived through rape, witnessed his mother's death at ten, spent years on the streets, tried to commit suicide multiple times, been kidnapped and tortured by his own father, and lost the will to speak, that everything was going to be alright?

"I'm here if you wanna talk about it." What else could she say? Kevin had likely heard every form of consolation in the book. There was nothing new she could tell him to help assuage his anguish. All she could do was be there for him and offer comfort when he needed it. Whether or not he would accept her proffered comfort was his choice, and if he chose to reject it, then she couldn't do anything to change his mind.

Shakily, Kevin lifted his head to meet her gaze. She expected him to give a headshake or write a note to convey his rejection, and her belief in the possibility of the latter was seemingly confirmed when he reached for the pen and notepad near his bed. She watched him write, anticipating the 'no' that would be written on the paper. Ergo, she was surprised to see the word 'sure' written there instead. Her eyes widened afore she looked at Kevin. He nodded, gesturing for her to speak.

She bit her lip."You're not the only one with nightmares, you know." Her voice was barely above a whisper."Honestly, I doubt there's a single person here who isn't suffering from nightmares. You and I were both kidnapped and tortured for days by a crazy deity and your scumbag dad. Kano was always a monster, but Raiden wasn't. He used to be my friend and mentor. Whenever my parents were too busy fighting to realize how it affected me, I knew I could go to Raiden and just let it out. He never judged, just listened. I knew I could come to him when I needed someone to talk to. Seeing what he's become now...I'm still struggling to comprehend it." She sighed."Oh sorry. I offered to let you open up to me and instead subjected you to my babbling."

Kevin smiled wanly.'Don't apologize. Everyone has been telling me I'm not alone and encouraging me to speak until recently. You don't do that. You accept my decision and aren't afraid to open up to me yourself. It's a nice change.'

"Elective mutism is what they call it." She stated."If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been mute?"

'I don't mind. I've been mute since the first few days after Kano tortured me. First, I begged him to stop and leave me alone, but of course, that didn't work. So I decided not to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream or cry in pain. That pissed him off. A lot.'

Cassie snorted."I noticed." She said wryly."Kano isn't known for his maturity, but the way he reacted to your muteness reminded me of a kid throwing a tantrum over not getting his favorite toy. Then when Raiden lectured him about 'not lowering the volume' right before..." She winced, remembering the agony of being electrocuted by Raiden for daring to call him the villain.

"I knew he wouldn't kill me." She continued."After all, I was the hostage. If I died, he would lose his leverage and my parents would have gone nuts." She snorted again."Then again, kidnapping me already drove them crazy, especially my mom." She frowned."I used to hate her, ya know, for her workaholism and what I understood as neglect. She's definitely a workaholic, but as I got older, I realized how important her job was. And even if she missed some birthdays, when I was in danger, she ran to my rescue."

'She's a saint compared to Kano.'

"I wished I'd realized that sooner in life, though. What was your mom like?" No sooner had she uttered the query, than she regretted it. But to her surprise, a wistful smile crossed Kevin's lips before he started writing his response.

'She never told me the truth about how I was conceived. I guess it was her way of protecting me. She could have aborted or given me up for adoption, but she didn't. After finding out the truth, I felt so grateful for that. It's one of the reasons why I miss her so much.'

"Mama's boy, huh?" Cassie teased, relieved she'd managed to distract him from his nightmares.

'You have no idea. I even endured your dad's movies, which she loved for some reason, to spend time with her. No offense.'

"None taken." She assured."My dad couldn't make a decent movie to save his life. I'd rather rewatch _The Room_ than _Citizen Cage_." She shuddered. As cringeworthy as the infamous rooftop scene and 'You're tearing me apart, Lisa!' line (both products of horrible acting) were, she learned to laugh at _The Room's_ badness. _Citizen Cage, Time Smashers, Every Dog Has Its Day,_ and _Ninja Mime_ were different stories.

'He does realize he's not fooling anybody with the titles, right? They sounds like cheap knockoffs.' Then he added,'On second thought, just knockoffs. Most cheap knockoffs are funny because of how bad they are.'

"Like _Mac and Me_." Cassie said."That film sucked, but in a funny way. Then again, films don't have to be knockoffs to be bad." She pretended to cough into her fist whilst rapidly muttering,"Ahem, Michael Bay." This made Kevin grimace.

'I'd rather watch every Michael Bay film than any Johnny Cage film.'

"Both of their movies are shit." She said, also grimacing."But my dad's are definitely worse. At least Bay's movies aren't box office failures."

'If you don't mind watching the same story multiple times for _Transformers_ , that is.'

"Or the fact that his female characters are brainless beauties." She added with an eye roll. Then she grinned."Speaking of movies, how about we play a game? I say or you write a quote and each of us takes turns guessing which movie the quote is from. Not like we have anything better to do, being bedridden and all."

Shrugging, Kevin nodded. He motioned her to go first.

Cassie shifted in bed so she could comfortably sit without putting pressure on the arm of her unbroken hand. She pondered for awhile, then spoke in the strangest voice she could muster."I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you... **stranger**."

Kevin's eyebrows rose.'You really like _The Dark Knight_ , don't you?'

"Is it that obvious?"

'This is the second time I've heard you quote it. Why did you initially think the quote about heroes becoming villains was stupid?'

Cassie shrugged."I guess I was just really naive. It wasn't until I saw what Raiden had become that I rethought my opinion. I guess I was kinda scared too."

'Why?'

"The idea that anyone could go from being a hero to a villain...unnerved me, so I denied it. Once I saw the shit Raiden caused, I realized the truth." She sighed deeply, annoyed by her own past naiveté.

Noticing her discomfort, Kevin tapped his pen against the notepad to get her attention. It took her a second to remember their game."Oh, right. Sorry. Okay, your turn. Jot down a movie quote so I can guess where it's from. Don't make it too obvious, though." The speed at which he wrote indicated that he wasn't listening to her instructions. This was confirmed when she saw his chosen quote.

'You're gonna need a bigger boat.'

"Dude, really?" Cassie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose." _Jaws_?" She loved that movie, but it was the most predictable quote in the world.

'Like your _The Dark Knight_ quotes weren't equally obvious!' Was his well-written retort, as if he'd read her mind.

She opened her mouth to argue, pausing as she realized the accuracy of his retort. She closed her mouth and grumbled,"Fair enough." She raised an eyebrow."Did your mom let you watch that movie as a little kid?"

'She had no idea I watched it. I was spending the weekend at a friend's house. His parents were away for a few days and his older brother was in charge until they got back. He let us watch _Jaws_ with him, but warned us we'd be scared.'

"How old were you?"

'Eight.'

"Did it scare you?"

'A little, but we didn't develop sharkphobia if that's what you're thinking.'

"I'm pretty sure that isn't the correct term for a phobia of sharks." The blonde stated dryly. Admittedly, she didn't know the correct term either, but her pride prevented her from confessing that.

Kevin rolled his eyes.'Your turn. And no more quotes from _The Dark Knight_!'

She pouted."Fine." She leaned forward to rest her chin on her fist, pondering. Kevin patiently waited for her to think of something, which she appreciated. Then it hit her, and a grin rapidly spread across her facial features. She adopted her best impersonation of the quote's speaker, then shouted the word as loudly as possible without paining her ribs.

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN'!"

After finishing the quote, she looked at Kevin to see his reaction. His jaw clenched at the shit-eating grin that graced her countenance. He looked at her for a very long moment, then threw his head back and covered his mouth with his hand to muffle his laughter. He dropped the notepad to the floor, let himself fall onto his side, and held his stomach whilst struggling to control his mirth. Tears of laughter poured down to his cheeks, a sharp contrast to the sorrowful tears he'd shed minutes ago.

"How spot on was my Jim Carrey impression?" Cassie queried. Kevin gave her two thumbs up. He buried his face in his pillow to muffle his laughter. She blushed. Had it really been **that** funny?

Well, she thought, at least he wasn't crying anymore. If the least she could do to assuage his anguish was make him laugh, then so be it.

After awhile, Kevin stopped laughing and smiled at her. He was cute when he smiled, she noted. She wished he'd smile more often, and was determined to make him do so whenever she could in the future.

Then, in a voice hoarse from disuse, he uttered two simple words.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _I hope all you Cassie x Kevin fans enjoyed this chapter, because I loved writing it. :)_

 _Random question: are any of my fellow Samurai Jack fans excited? :D_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _CharlieFreak180 - Interesting comparison. Thanks for understanding._

 _Uryusas - You're not the first to say that. And I completely agree._

 _Superdan - They will inevitably face their demons. As for their opinions on Raiden, I don't wanna answer that lest I spoil anything. Let's just say they're slightly conflicted. Expect more drama regarding that topic in the future ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 79:Unknown (anybody wanna guess? :P)_


	80. Chapter 79:Mokap

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"War is like a monster," he says, almost to himself. "War is the devil. It starts and it consumes and it grows and grows and grows." He's looking at me now. "And otherwise normal men become monsters, too."  
— Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1))

 **Chapter 79:Mokap**

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Patience is a virtue.

Working as a martial arts teacher and motion capture artist constantly reminded one of that phrase. He could not afford to lose his cool when students made mistakes or scenes needed to be redone. Regardless of how long it took, it was a pleasure to see students finally master the techniques he taught them, as well as watch the finished project of his work. He prided himself on being a patient man who always got things done without rushing.

Eventually, he decided to retire from motion capture work in favor of fully focusing on teaching martial arts. His nickname remained in use, which he was fine with. He managed to open his own dojo, where he mainly taught the Crane and Snake styles.

Of all the celebrities he'd worked with, Johnny Cage was the most memorable. He had done motion capture work for _Ninja Mime._ Despite the film's negative critical reception (although what Johnny Cage film didn't receive negative reviews?), he enjoyed it. The actor was pleasant enough, thanking Mokap repeatedly and expressing interest in working together again in the future. Mokap agreed, but nothing came of it. He did a few more projects afterwards, before opting to settle down.

It was not hard to settle into a quiet life. As much as he enjoyed his other career, he preferred teaching. Things were on his terms, and he did not have to obey the directions of another. Being his own boss and an instructor to others was the best feeling in the world, and he wouldn't trade it for anything. Ergo, it unsettled him when his peaceful life was abruptly interrupted.

Mokap wasn't oblivious; he'd noticed the sudden military presence everywhere. Their refusal to explain made civilians more curious and frustrated. The soldiers were understandably doing their jobs, but martial law was not something people were accustomed to, nor enjoyed. Some people half-jokingly remarked that it seemed World War III had finally begun, key word 'half'. Mokap was hesitant to dismiss that notion. **Something** was causing this confusion and military presence, after all, though hesitation did not equal acceptance.

Sighing, Mokap shook his head. Pondering this was pointless. All it did was increase his vexation. Then again, he preferred that to moping over the decrease in students attending class over the last few days. Even those who came could not focus on the lesson, and he didn't blame them. How was someone supposed to focus on practicing martial arts with soldiers marching around outside for no apparent reason?

Too vexed to work, Mokap had decided not to open the dojo today, and called his students to inform them. Even if he weren't vexed, he wouldn't have been able to work, as his thoughts kept him awake all night, and he didn't enjoy the idea of falling asleep in the middle of a lesson. Sleeping until noon relieved him of his sleepiness and he was currently trying to distract himself from his musings by rearranging some old stuff.

The television was on, showing reporters babbling about the situation. There were, of course, plenty of conspiracy theorists stating that the end of the world or that World War III were upon them. Although the latter option was not unlikely, the former made Mokap snort. From the idea that humanity had faked arriving on the moon to the existence of mythical creatures, it was truly amazing what bullshit human beings could create in their imaginations and accept as truth in their minds.

Mokap froze as he recognized through touch what he had just grabbed in the box. He looked down, and sure enough, there was the motion capture uniform he hadn't donned in years. How convenient of him to find it now, he wryly thought with a smile. Though he did not regret his retirement, he did miss his old job. The nostalgia was a welcome distraction from the turmoil.

Screams from outside startled him. Before he could think to rush to the window to see what had caused the screams, gunshots sounded alongside the soldiers' shouting. Mokap had just risen from his kneeling position when something, or rather **someone** , crashed through the window. He brought up his arm to shield his face from the glass and lost his footing as he backed away, landing on his backside with a yelp. The screams and gunshots continued, followed by chilling laughter and the unmistakeable sound of electricity crackling. Although the gunshots stopped, the screams did not.

Shakily, Mokap lowered his arm and widened his eyes at the sight in front of him. A man in black robes and dark armor stood with his back facing Mokap and one hand extended toward the remains of the window. Lightning erupted from the man's palms, and all Mokap could do was gape in horror as the man electrocuted the innocent civilians and soldiers below.

He blinked, hoping for this to be a dream, but the horrifying scene didn't vanish. He was frozen in place, too aghast and perplexed to flee. The man must have heard Mokap's gasp, because he stopped his attack and slowly turned to the ex-motion capture artist. A chill went up Mokap's spine at the red eyes and sadistic smirk on the man's face. It was as if a horror film had become reality, and as much as he blinked his eyes, Mokap knew he would not wake up from this nightmare.

"Johnny Cage told me about you." The man said."He said you were a skilled kombatant and taught various styles." Lightning bolts formed in his palms once more as he took a step forward, causing Mokap to crawl away until his back met the wall."Given how desperate my former allies are, they may contact you to join them in opposing me. I cannot allow that."

What the hell was this guy talking about? As flattering as it was to know Johnny Cage had talked about him, in that moment, Mokap wanted to murder the actor for bringing this madman to him. That was assuming said madman didn't murder Mokap, which he clearly intended to do.

"Listen, man," Mokap said,", I haven't seen Johnny Cage in years and I have no idea what you're talking about-"

"Silence!" The man screamed, blasting lightning at him. Mokap scrambled out of the way, throwing himself to the ground and rolling to the door as lightning struck the spot where he'd previously been. His attacker growled as he pursued, preparing to blast more lightning when a bright light flashed and a gunshot rang out. The man cried out as he crumbled to his knees. He looked over his shoulder, to be greeted with a kick to the face that sent him into the wall.

"Breaking the rules, Raiden?" Johnny Cage asked dryly, lowering his leg.

"Wouldn't be the first time he's done it!" A gun-wielding blonde woman spat as she came to stand beside the actor. Several feet behind the pair was a white-haired man with pure white eyes.

"Or the last." He added as he crossed his arms."You should be at the tournament." He said to Raiden.

Raiden prepared to launch a lightning bolt. The white-haired man sent a gust of wind to lift Raiden and slam him down while Mokap scrambled to a safe distance from the lunatic.

First a guy who could shoot lightning from his hands, now a guy with wind powers. What was next? World War III? Armageddon? No, really, those were serious questions!

The woman spoke into her wrist communicator."This is General Blade. All MPs in the immediate area are either dead or injured. I need backup now."

"Roger that, General." A male voice replied."Backup is on its way."

"I will dispose of them just as quickly and easily." Raiden told her. An ugly grin appeared on his face."It is unwise of you to leave Outworld, Sonya Blade. How do you know I did not send a message to my forces to-"

"Shut up!" She screeched at the top of her lungs. In a blind rage, she fired ten bullets at her foe, who raised his arms and vanished in a flash of light. She cursed as the bullets hit the wall."We need to get back to Outworld, now!" She said to her companions.

"Sonya, calm down." Johnny said, placing a hand on her shoulder."He was just bluffing and trying to get under your skin-"

"Well, it fucking worked!" She snarled."Raiden doesn't bluff. If he cares so little for the rules that he would leave the tournament, why the hell would he hesitate to carry out that threat?!" She glanced at the white-haired man."And the Elder Gods won't do a damn thing about it!"

"Ah, hello, I still exist." Mokap chimed in, torn between annoyance and perplexity. The trio snapped out of their argument and looked at him, as if just remembering his presence.

Mokap pointed at Johnny."Cage, you've got a lot of explaining to do!" He pondered for a second before adding,"And it better be a good explanation!"

Sonya and the other man exchanged a glance before turning to Johnny."I believe you owe this man an explanation." The latter wryly told the actor while gesturing to Mokap.

Sighing, Johnny ran a hand through his hair."This day just keeps getting better and better..." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

 _Unlike the character, this chapter was no joke. Anyone see this coming?_

 _Oh, look. Raiden broke the rules by leaving the island before the end of the tournament. Raise your hand if you're not even remotely shocked by this. I think my readers are too used to Raiden's insanity to be surprised by what he does anymore._

 _In the old timeline, Mokap's bio says he was asked by Johnny Cage to do motion capture work for his movie "Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance", but since the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance did not happen in the new timeline, I had to make some changes._

 _I liked writing Mokap. I ignored him in the games, but writing him was very enjoyable._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Unknown - Not Kevin as you can see :P_

 _CharlieFreak180 - Not Raiden, as you can see ;)_

 _Teh Acorn - Sorry. Cannot answer that without spoilers ;)_

 _Taja - Glad you like them. Cassie won't be doing much for awhile, I fear. As for Kano...*cackles*_

 _Next up: Chapter 80:Kia and Jataaka_


	81. Chapter 80:Kia and Jataaka

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Loyalty is a noble quality, so long as it is not blind and does not exclude the higher loyalty to truth and decency."  
— B.H. Liddell Hart (Why Don't We Learn from History?)

 **Chapter 80:Kia and Jataaka**

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Kia's POV:

"Kia!"

The demoness looked up from the boomerang blades she was polishing. Her brows knitted together into a frown at the sight of Drahmin and Moloch running toward her. She looked at Jataaka, who sat beside her. Both of them knew why the Oni duo were here.

Jataaka shook her head with a sigh. Kia gave a wry smile. Words were not required to convey how they felt about their current situation. It was a skill they developed during their many years of camaraderie. The years in Quan Chi's service were made easier by the knowledge that they weren't alone in their suffering.

Contrary to what Sareena might think, Kia and Jataaka were not blindly loyal to Quan Chi. Their resentment for their fellow demoness came from a different kind of jealousy than what she assumed. As Quan Chi's 'favorite', Sareena had it easy compared to them. So what if she occasionally had to pleasure him? It was preferable to the beatings and berating they suffered. Sareena's human form became the most attractive one to the necromancer, exempting her from certain missions. Quan Chi could not harm his concubine too much, lest she lose her attractiveness.

Hearing the ungrateful witch, as Jataaka labeled her, complain about her privileges, filled Kia with ire. That rage made her all the more determined to prove herself by killing the original Sub-Zero. At long last she would have been able to earn her master's respect and help Jataaka do the same. When she fell to the cryomancer, she hoped Jataaka would succeed where she had failed, but she hadn't.

Even in the afterlife Kia managed to be angry at Sareena for being the sole survivor of Bi-Han's battle with the trio. No doubt he spared her because he found her too beautiful to kill, as the Earthrealm saying went. Not that she would ever tell him that, as she preferred to not have to be resurrected twice by Shang Tsung after dying twice at Bi-Han's hands.

Shang Tsung was no saint, but serving him was better than serving his rival. At least the stealer of souls treated his servants with respect. Well, the four recently resurrected ones anyway. She didn't care about the others so long as she and Jataaka were free of abuse.

Survival of the fittest. Another Earthrealm saying, and among the few she agreed with.

Jataaka was her sole friend and as a result, the only person she would protect. They had known each other for years and watched one another's backs even prior to their recruitment under the Brotherhood of Shadows. Sisters-in-arms, in life and in death.

Kia hoped Jataaka would not fail in her task. She shook her head, knowing she should ensure she did not lose her match. Shang Tsung had healed Tasia and Baraka without Raiden's blessing, but the deity did not seem to mind. For now, anyway. Failure was equal to comparing him to Shao Kahn and/or Shinnok in Raiden's eyes. Kia was wise enough to remain silent on that matter, though. Shinnok had been frightening with his normally calm demeanor that rarely faltered when he was truly vexed. Raiden, however, could snap at the sound of a pin dropping. More than once Kia questioned if the risk was worth enduring the Thunder God's temper. Shang Tsung assured his comrades that the reward for their patience would be great.

"Who am I fighting?" Kia asked once the Oni were close enough to hear her.

"We don't know." Drahmin replied."Shang Tsung just told us to come get you." Moloch nodded in confirmation of his companion's words.

Kia sighed. She hated being kept in the dark, but she hated being electrocuted by a peeved Raiden more. The other kombatants had just finished gathering when they arrived.

Shang Tsung smiled and stood from his throne as his minions approached and took their places near his throne. The sorcerer unnecessarily gestured for Kia to remain standing and grinned as he stood to announce the match."The third and final match of the day shall be Ashrah vs Kia!"

Another traitorous fellow demoness. Kia was aware that Sareena's betrayal inspired Ashrah to rebel and flee from the Brotherhood of Shadows, as well as that Ashrah killed her own sister in self-defense when Quan Chi sent the latter after her for refusing to obey a command he'd given her.

Raiden appeared in front of Kia. He looked her dead in the eye. She struggled not to shudder at the unease his closeness caused her to feel. If the ghost of a smile on his visage could be considered evidence, he enjoyed making her uncomfortable.

"You had better not fail me, demoness." His icy tone sent chills down her spine. She dared not look away, however, as showing fear would grant him the satisfaction she was determined to deny him. She would be obedient until the time came to fulfill their plan, but she would **not** show this pompous beast fear.

"I assure you, Lord Raiden, Kia will not fail." Shang Tsung said in a silkily smooth tone and equally sly smile that one had to be blind or idiotic to not notice. Luckily, Raiden was both of those things. He stepped aside to let Kia pass. Ashrah had already entered the arena and drawn her weapon.

Kia spat at Ashrah's feet."Another traitor." She hissed through clenched teeth.

Ashrah's eyes narrowed."Another blind loyalist." She coolly riposted, running a finger up her blade before adopting a fighting stance.

"Fight!" Raiden and Shang Tsung yelled. No sooner had the order been given, than a white energy ball burst from Ashrah's palm to strike Kia in the chest, knocking her back. Keeping a firm grip on her weapons, Kia dug her heels into the ground to retain her footing. Ashrah shot another projectile upwards that crashed down on Kia seconds laters. A cry left her lips as she dropped one boomerang whilst throwing the other. Ashrah barely managed to duck in time, the boomerang knocking her hat off. Had she reacted slower, she'd be headless. The boomerang flew back into Kia's hand, after which she threw both weapons at her opponent.

Ashrah cartwheeled out of the way and shot multiple white energy balls that the other demoness jumped over before landing perfectly on her feet, catching the boomerangs, and sheathing them. Leaping into the air, Kia launched herself at Ashrah, grabbed her by the shoulders, and slammed her into the ground. She stepped on Ashrah's wrist to prevent her from retrieving the Kriss.

Ashrah tried in vain to pry Kia's foot off her wrist. In response to this, Kia dug her heel into the white-clad woman's skin, breaking it to draw blood. Ashrah whimpered, her eyes drifting toward the Kriss. She extended her free hand toward the blade, managing to grasp it right before Kia lifted her other foot and slashing blindly. Pain exploded in Kia's leg as she staggered back with a shriek. She frowned in confusion. How had a single, tiny gash caused such agony?

"No one told you why the Kriss is so special." Ashrah said as she rose. A smile appeared on the her face."It is a holy blade. The more evil creatures I slay with it, the less evil I become." From the corner of her eye, Kia spotted Nitara shaking her head at Ashrah's words. She made a mental note to find out what the vampiress knew later.

Kia flung her boomerangs at Ashrah to distract her and knelt down to examine her wound. Removing her headband, she tied it around her leg to stop the bleeding, then rose to catch her boomerangs. She did all this in six seconds. Ashrah had fallen after receiving two strikes to the head via the boomerangs. Although unscathed by the attack, she was clearly stunned. Not stunned enough to drop her weapon, though. If Kia was to win, she needed to disarm her opponent.

Raising an arm, Ashrah shot a white energy ball upwards. Recognizing the attack, Kia sidestepped a second afore the projectile hit the spot where she recently stood. She was about to throw her boomerangs when Ashrah jumped to her feet and rapidly spun in a circle that released sufficient force to send Kia flying. The darker demoness shouted in vexation as her weapons fell from her grasp. She shouted again upon landing hard on the floor with a thud. It was a wonder her head hadn't cracked open. She sat up, eyes widening at the sight of Ashrah charging at her with a battle cry and her sword held overhead. She scrambled away, miraculously avoiding getting slashed across the back as the blade missed by inches.

Wild slashes were all that made up Ashrah's attacks; last-minute dodges made up Kia's actions. Eventually, she jumped up, extending her leg to kick Ashrah in the face while in midair. She landed in a backflip, then performed several cartwheels to put some distance between herself and her foe. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Ashrah clutching her cheek, and hurried to retrieve her boomerangs. Ashrah recovered in time to see the projectiles flying straight at her and launched a white energy ball. The force of the projectiles making impact knocked both kombatants back, although they stayed on their feet.

Kia shielded her eyes from the bright light with her arm. She heard a yell, followed by Ashrah charging at her. Kia charged at Ashrah, only to somersault over her at the last moment and shoot out a leg to kick her in the back. Yelping, Ashrah fell face first onto the floor whilst Kia again landed perfectly on her feet and caught her boomerangs. She sheathed the weapons and turned to Ashrah, who was starting to sit up. She wrapped an arm around her lighter counterpart's neck. The Kriss was barely out of Ashrah's reach, but Kia held on tightly and started to drag her away. Ashrah elbowed Kia in the gut, spun around to chop her neck, grabbed her arm, kicked her in the head, and flipped her over her shoulder.

When Ashrah tried to run, Kia caught her ankle and yanked, tripping her. Ashrah put out her hands to break her fall. In retribution for the kicks she'd received earlier, she kicked Kia in the face with her free leg, then wiggled her ankle out of her adversary's grip and sped toward the Kriss. Kia swiftly recovered and followed, dodging the projectile Ashrah blasted at her as she ran.

Suddenly, Ashrah stopped. She spun around and delivered an unexpected sweeping kick that knocked Kia down. Then she returned to the task of retrieving the Kriss. More surprised as well as annoyed than pained, Kia cursed under her breath and rose right as Ashrah picked up the Kriss. Kia's hands instinctively moved toward her boomerangs, yet she failed to react afore Ashrah slashed at her stomach. The same pain that had erupted in her leg now attacked her abdomen. The boomerangs slipped from her grip as she fell on her backside, forced to crawl away with one hand covering her new injury as Ashrah resumed wildly slashing at her.

Within thirty seconds, gashes marred the skin of Kia's arms, shoulders, abdomen, face. Pain consumed her entire body as each gash burned with the holy power Ashrah claimed the Kriss possessed. Her blood decorated the floor and stained Ashrah's white attire. Upon reaching the edge of the arena, she stopped, as did Ashrah. The white-clad demoness gazed down at her with cold fury, knowing she had won the match.

Silence consumed the place. No immediate orders of execution came from Shang Tsung or Raiden, the latter of whom was clenching his jaw in outrage. If Ashrah didn't kill Kia, he likely would.

"Finish her." He finally spoke through gritted teeth. Jataaka unthinkingly started to stand, but Noob Saibot moved to block her while Shang Tsung grabbed her wrist.

"You heard him." Kia whispered."Finish me." She'd prefer death to whatever punishment Raiden would inflict on her.

Ashrah's gaze did not falter for what felt like an eternity. Then her expression softened and she lowered her blade."As a member of the Brother of Shadows, you have done many terrible things alongside Jataaka." She swallowed thickly."But so have Sareena and I. Sareena's rebellion inspired me to rebel as well. She wanted more than servitude and abuse, and I think you and Jataaka do too." Her eyes flickered in Jataaka's direction."I will not deny either of you the opportunity of freedom and redemption." That being said, she turned around and exited the arena, not bothering to pick up her hat as she left.

Only once Ashrah was gone did Shang Tsung let Jataaka go to her comrade's aid with Drahmin accompanying her. Jataaka pulled her up and supported her weight. Meanwhile, Drahmin retrieved her boomerangs for her. The agony had been reduced to stinging by this point, yet the bleeding continued. Never in her existence had she felt so weak. If the Kriss truly was a holy object, she pitied its previous victims; the cuts she got likely paled in comparison to the excrutiating deaths they must have suffered.

Trembles shot through her body, both from being cold and the unpleasant images her imagination conjured up. Not to mention the discomfort that Raiden's death glare provided.

"You are fortunate she let you live." Raiden told her."You would be useless to me dead."

Noob snorted."Says the man who ordered her death a minute ago." He was not defending Kia, merely stating a fact.

Raiden pointed an arm in the wraith's direction and blasted a lightning bolt at him. Noob yelped and staggered back with one hand over his heart. Pure fury and malice found their way onto his countenance as he stepped forward with a fist ready to strike the diety. Shang Tsung shot him a glance, and he reluctantly backed down. Hotaru moved closer to Raiden and lifted an eyebrow at the silent conversation that occurred between the former Lin Kuei and the sorcerer.

"We are done for the day." Raiden declared, noticing that everyone else had left. He teleported himself and Hotaru away, leaving Shang Tsung's group alone in the Courtyard.

Noob glowered at Shang Tsung."He is unstable."

"I am aware." Shang Tsung replied dryly, crossing his arms."Alas, we must endure it."

"We have endured it long enough-"

"It has been a few days." Shang Tsung interrupted."Good things come to those who wait, especially for longer than that little amount of time." Without looking at Kia, he flicked his wrist, and an fireball flew at her. She sighed in relief as her wounds were healed. She was lucky they were just flesh wounds. Jataaka released her after getting a reassuring nod. She gratefully collected her boomerangs from Drahmin.

Shang Tsung stood from his throne with his hands clasped behind his back. "Everyone, please, be calm. Everything is going according to plan. Our efforts will not be in vain."

The quintet exchanged unsure glances. They had succeeded in gaining Raiden's trust and they had all agreed to take the necessary risks that involved merging the realms. Plus, Shang Tsung warned them from the beginning that this would not be easy. Other than their lives for the second time, there was nothing for them to lose. Besides, death was overrated.

"We are jumping from the frying pan into the fire." Noob remarked. Drahmin and Moloch nodded in agreement.

The sorcerer grimaced."Not yet, but soon. Once we win the tournament, then we must jump...and see how for long we will fall."

None of them liked the sound of that.

* * *

Jataaka's POV:

"Kia, slow down!"

Jataaka spoke through pants and gasps for air as she struggled to catch up with her friend. As soon as Shang Tsung dismissed them, Kia ran off at full speed without explanation. Worry and puzzlement mixed into one within Jataaka as she wondered why the other woman had acted this way. She would have thought that the aftermath of her match against Ashrah would leave her shaken rather than so...energetic, to say the least.

Her confusion, concern, and urgency increased, as did her speed. Finally, she was able to lessen the distance between herself and Kia, but her partner was still faster and unknowingly outran her again. A frustrated curse escaped Jataaka's mouth in response to this occurrence. Today was simply not hers or Kia's day. She doubted tomorrow would be any better.

By the time Jataaka managed to reach Kia, the latter had stopped running and was glaring up at the winged vampiress hovering above them. Nitara gazed back down at Kia with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at Jataaka when the other demoness came to stand beside her partner, then returned her attention to Kia.

"I'll answer your questions, demoness." She said in a slow, careful tone. Again she glanced at Jataaka and added,"Alone."

"No." Kia was quick to respond."I trust her."

"Well, I don't." Nitara said coolly.

Kia scowked."Too bad. And I'm sure she has the same questions I do about that sword. Questions you can answer. I saw you shaking your head when Ashrah explained the power of the Kriss-"

"Stop calling it that." Nitara's cool tone became tense, and her jaw clenched. Sighing, she descended to land in front of the demonic duo. She crossed her arms and sighed once more."That is not the blade's name. It is called Datusha. Or as the elders of my race call it, the Bane of the Moroi."

"Moroi?" Kia asked."Another title for your people, I presume?"

"Our real title, actually." Nitara nodded, gesturing for them to follow her."Come. This is a conversation best held in private."

"I'm coming too." Jataaka declared firmly.

"Fine." Nitara clearly understood the pointlessness of arguing."I only ask that both of you swear to keep quiet about this. Raiden's awareness of the blade's true origins is bad enough for me. I do not want Shang Tsung finding out as well. Or Noob Saibot for that matter. They cause me almost as much unease as Raiden does."

Kia and Jataaka looked at one another before exchanging nods and the former nodded at Nitara to indicate their . Nitara led them to the garden and settled down to sit atop one of the statues. The demonesses sat down cross-legged on the ground and gave her their full attention.

Nitara hesitated for a second before finally beginning to explain."Long ago, there was a man of my race named Kahil Grigesh. He was the last to wield Datusha before your fellow demoness found it. Though Datusha's origin has been lost to history, no one doubts its purpose is to kill vampires. Datusha has a mind of its own and brainwashes its wielder into believing they are serving the greater good. Kahil fell under its spell and slaughtered several of his own without hesitation or mercy. Somehow, he was able to break free from the sword's control. To atone for his crimes, he went to the Netherrealm and used the blade to commit hara-kiri. Datusha was trapped within the Netherrealm as a result, and it stayed there for centuries-"

"Until Ashrah found it." Kia finished."You said the sword makes the wielder believe they are serving the greater good. That explains why Ashrah described it as helping her to redeem her soul by slaying evil creatures, but if it is a tool meant to slay vampires, why did cause **me** pain? I'm not a vampire. Even if Ashrah thinks Datusha is meant to slay evil creatures, that is not its true purpose."

Nitara rested her folded hands on her lap."I told you the sword has a mind of its own. As powerful as mind control can be, it is also helpful to provide false physical evidence in order to make someone believe a lie. Datusha causes pain to anyone the wielder wishes to slay, so long as the wielder's path eventually leads to the vampires. Now that Ashrah and I are enemies, Datusha's influence over her has become stronger than ever. I tried to convince her of the truth when we fought at the Sky Temple, but she refused to listen, though I admit I could have worded it better."

"If Datusha's influence over her is as strong as you claim, then you aren't to blame." Jataaka said.

"I know." Nitara replied."In return for this information, I would ask that you aid me in getting Datusha from Ashrah. Kill her if you wish, just give me the blade. It has claimed enough victims through mind control and violence."

"You intend to destroy it?" Kia inquired.

Nitara smiled wryly."If it were that easy to destroy Datusha, Kahil Grigesh would have done it himself. Like Shinnok's amulet, Datusha cannot be destroyed, only hidden and sealed away. I plan to ensure it is never found again." She frowned."Raiden convinced me to join him by promising to let me deal with Ashrah, but recent events have caused me to question his honesty, and I have been doubting his sanity since I joined him. Do not deny that you share my feelings on this topic. I needn't be a genius to know that sorcerer has plans of his own. That is not my main concern, though, so I am willing to put it aside for the moment, as long as you agree to aid me." She flew off the statue and landed in front the demonesses as they stood."Do we have a deal?" She asked, extending a hand for a handshake.

"I have been eliminated from the tournament by Ashrah." Kia reminded her.

Jataaka cleared her throat."I, on the other hand..." She trailed off."I must advance to the next round first and there is no guarantee that Raiden will pit me against Ashrah, just as there is no guarantee you will not advance to the second round and be allowed to fight Ashrah yourself, Nitara."

Nitara shook her head."I am not asking for a gaurentee on anything. Simply a promise of aid should circumstances force you to act on this deal."

"Why?"

"Is it not good to always be prepared?" Nitara answered her question with a question."I am trying to be 'crazy prepared," she made air quotes with her fingers,", as Earthrealmers are fond of saying." She extended her hand again."Do we have a deal?"

Jataaka considered it as she gazed at the offered hand. It was not as though she had anything to lose by agreeing to this. There was no harm in saying yes, so she did."Very well." She shook Nitara's hand. The vampiress reminded them to keep their conversation a secret afore flying away.

"Kia?" Jataaka tentatively spoke once they were alone."Do you think we're doing the right thing by getting involved in all of this?"

Kia heaved a deep sigh."I don't know, Jataaka." She whispered."I honestly don't know."

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Rain, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _School has been insane lately, so I honestly don't know how long it will be until my next update. Sorry, everybody._

 _I thought about separating this into two chapters, but their personalities turned out too similar for me not to put them in the same chapter. Hope this was worth the wait!_

 _I've also opted to restart my prequel story again and leave it on hiatus until I at least reach near the end of this story._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _CharlieFreak180 - That was not the first I've made movie references, so I disagree about the fourth wall, especially since Johnny makes movie references all the time._

 _Guest - I never thought of Mokap that way, but I agree with you on that._

 _Taja - You're not the only one, darling. ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 81:Tremor_


	82. Chapter 81:Tremor

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral."  
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince)

 **Chapter 81:Tremor**

* * *

"First a traitor causes you to accidentally amputate your own hands with your own weapons, then you are bested by a potential victim in the tournament. Humiliation follows you like a lost puppy, Tasia."

The words could have possibly been spoken in a more deadpan tone by the longtime Black Dragon member. He'd broken the uncomfortable silence that had settled amongst himself, Tasia, and Jarek as they sauntered through the gardens together in the hopes of clearing their minds prior to the tournament matches. They found no success.

Tasia frowned and kicked at the dirt with a frustrated sigh and headshake. Despite being healed by Shang Tsung, she was still a bit sore and required aid for a little while. She'd spent the entire day and night in her quarters and only came out today to watch the matches, one of which included Tremor, though who his opponent would be was unknown. Oh well, he would soon find out.

Tremor stifled his own sigh as he and Jarek walked on either side of Tasia. Ever since Cassandra Cage's rescue, things had begun taking a turn for the worst for the Black Dragon Clan. Shang Tsung and the Red Dragon Clan had taken their positions as Raiden's left-hand man and main enforcers, respectively, while they were reduced to mere mooks.

They still intended to carry out the plan to uncover betrayers within their ranks and Daegon's humiliation did satisfy them, but it didn't change the fact that Raiden was angry at them for their recent failures. For the sake of lessening that anger, Tremor had to win his match. Failure was not an option.

Jarek scowled."Humiliation's been following **all** of us lately. Nothing has gone right these last few days. First, we lost our hostage and that brat Kano has the misfortune of being related to thanks to the two traitors, then those strict, honor-obsessed morons steal our place, and now we've got Raiden breathing down our necks."

"Tell me about it." Tasia huffed."Jax's brat isn't as tough or stubborn as the Cage girl, but she's a close second."

"You underestimated her." Tremor said harshly."She used that to her advantage. If you put as much effort into gloating as you did fighting, Jacqueline Briggs would be in our clutches."

Tasia sneered."Thanks for the lecture." Her reaction didn't surprise him one bit.

Tremor rolled his eyes."You know I am right." He clasped his hands behind his back."I'm not enjoying this any more than you are."

She raised an eyebrow."I'm not enjoying it at all." Either he was bad at sarcasm or she was unable to recognize it from him.

"Exactly." He said dryly. Then he shook his head."I am beginning to understand how Kabal felt when he gave these lectures. We were at our best when he was with us. Kira wasn't a perfect replacement, but in hindsight she had little to do and her enthusiasm for our activities diminished after Kabal perished."

"Yes, let's talk about the two previous second-in-commands who ultimately betrayed the clan in front of the current, **loyal** second-in-command." Jarek's voice was wet with scorn."Why don't you discuss Kevin while you're at it too?" The scorn increased as he uttered Kevin's name.

"The boy was a lost cause from the beginning." Tremor stated."His immediate reaction when Kano started his 'lessons' was to cry and beg for mercy like a child. His eventual muteness was irritating, but not surprising."

"What else can you expect from someone raised by that woman?" Tasia smirked at Jarek."You would have loved the look on her face when Kano told her who he was and what he planned to do with her. She screamed like a banshee while he fucked her."

Jarek snickered."Sounds amusing."

"It was." Tremor nodded then grimaced beneath his mask."Until her screams of pain and terror became those of anger and defiance. She started taunting Kano, declaring that he couldn't break her and that Kabal had been too good for idiotic monsters like us."

"Along with some creative insults." Tasia added."Kano didn't take kindly to that."

Tremor sighed."I suppose we shouldn't be shocked Kira betrayed us, Tasia. You, Kobra, Kano, and I all noticed her acting strange from the moment Kano brought Nell in. It was only a matter of time before she snapped like Kabal had after he killed that man in front of his son. Empathy took them from us."

"They made their choices." Jarek spat."They've got no one to blame but themselves for that."

"I am not disagreeing with you, Jarek." Tremor was quick to assure."I am simply saying that their betrayals are unsurprising in hindsight. We should have known their consciences would get the better of them eventually."

"Still," Tasia sounded genuinely nostalgic,", those years with them were fun. They both knew how to get the job done and balance professionalism with enjoyment. I can't recall a single unsuccessful mission we had with either if not both of them involved." The nostalgia vanished as quickly as it appeared as she smirked and shrugged."Like you both said, though, they made their choices and paid the price for them." She examined her prosthetic hands, closing them into fists."Well, not entirely." She added as an afterthought."But that'll be rectified soon enough."

Tremor and Jarek exchanged a glance. The former hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder whilst the latter grasped her wrist just below where the prosthetic ended. Her eyes darted in each man's direction afore she nodded and gestured in front of her."We should head to the arena. Tremor's match is today."

"Still got no idea who your opponent is?" Jarek asked.

Tremor shrugged."No point in wondering now, seeing as I will fight him or her soon. In any case, Tasia is correct. Raiden would not be pleased if I am late."

Jade snorted."Is there anything that **does** please him?" The sarcasm was back. Tasia shushed him and slapped his arm.

"Watch your mouth!" She whispered through her teeth."He could be nearby."

"Indeed." Tremor murmured in agreement, gesturing for them to follow him. The last thing they needed was to further anger the Thunder God."Let's go." He called over his shoulder.

With the exception of Baraka and Li Mei, who had isolated themselves since losing their matches, everyone was present. Kano and Kobra were whispering to each other and pointing occasionally at Daegon who was ignoring the presence of everybody around him except for Mavado. The Red Dragon second-in-command had a firm hand resting on the demigod's shoulder and a death glare directed at Reiko which the general ignored.

Kano and Kobra grinned as their friends approached. Raiden was also looking at the group with the ghost of a smile on his face, though he made sure to send Daegon a disapproving glance every now and then.

"Did we miss anything?" Tremor inquired as he scanned their enemies, trying to guess at the last minute who his opponent might be.

"Raiden told us who you're gonna fight." Kobra said. Before Tremor could ask for the other kombatant's identity, Shang Tsung stood from his throne to announce the match."The first match of the day shall be...Rain vs Tremor!"

"Well, that answers that question." Tasia said, chuckling. She gave Tremor a coy smile."This should be entertaining to observe. Try to follow your advice about not gloating or underestimating your opponent."

"I am not you, Tasia." Tremor smirked at her annoyed expression in response to his comeback. She rolled her eyes and hit his arm lightly. Stepping aside to let him pass, she allowed her smile to return. He got to the center of the stage just as Rain appeared a few feet away from him.

"This should not be difficult." Rain muttered after sizing the Black Dragon member up.

"Funny." Tremor said wryly."I was prepared to say the same thing." He cracked his knuckles.

Rain scowled beneath his mask."I thought having your backside handed to you by Daegon would have taught you not to underestimate a demigod. Clearly I was wrong."

"Clearly someone doesn't practice what he preaches." Tasia whispered so Tremor alone would hear her. He ignored her.

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled.

Neither kombatant wasted any time in attacking, Rain shooting a high-pressure stream of water at the same time that Tremor launched a fireball. Tremor fell onto his back and Rain dropped to one knee. The hydromancer raised his arm, summoning a blue lightning bolt to strike Tremor as soon as the other man got up only for the blow to knock Tremor back down. As he fell, Tremor slammed his fist into the floor to shake the arena. Rain teleported, reappearing above Tremor to drop on him. Leaping into the air, Tremor grabbed Rain in midair and slammed him down to the ground. He formed a huge rock fist around his arm, using it to smash Rain over the head. A cry left the demigod's lips as he was picked up and tossed toward the edge of the arena, but he regained enough sense to teleport.

Rain appeared directly behind Tremor to catch him in a bear hug. The confused criminal had no time to react as Rain propelled them into the air with a jet stream of water to come back down headfirst and disappear himself as his foe made contact with the ground. Rain waited for Tremor to rise, then propelled himself forward with a blast of water from behind to give him a two-footed kick to the chest whilst shooting lightning. Tremor cried out as he landed on his back with Rain's feet keeping him pinned.

"This should finish you." Rain lifted one hand and pointed his palm toward Tremor's face. Dismay filled him when a water bubble formed around his head. Water rapidly began making its way down his throat as he struggled to remain conscious underneath the smug demigod. In desperation, he used all his strength to punch the ground, shaking it once more. Yelping in surprise, Rain lost his concentration and tripped, allowing the now free Tremor to kick him away. Sweet delicious oxygen filled his lungs as he sat up, coughing and gasping.

He couldn't afford to underestimate his adversary like Tasia had Jacqui, lest he lose this fight, his dignity, and his life. That water bubble was a powerful attack, but it required concentration. All he needed to do to avoid falling victim to it again was keep Rain on his toes, which was easier said than done. His line of thought was interrupted by Rain summoning a geyser to launch his own body into the air afore he launched himself at Tremor to kick the criminal in the head. Not again, Tremor thought, as his back met the ground once more. As if anticipating Tremor would stop him from another drowning attempt, Rain teleported immediately after knocking him down.

Tremor jumped to his feet and waited for his enemy to reappear. No sooner had Rain appeared above him to dropkick him, than Tremor had summoned a spiked spherical rock and sent it at the demigod. Rain fell straight toward Tremor after being struck by the rock, giving him the chance to hurl a rock at the hydromancer's torso. He then jumped into the air to grab and throw Rain onto a stone pillar he summoned. Rain screamed as his spine bore the brunt of his fall against the stone pillar.

Stepping back, Tremor intensified the crystal protection over his skin, effectively turning it into an armor, and formed large rocks around his arms. Rain struggled to stand as Tremor came closer to him. He spotted the rocks encasing his arms and his eyes widened in shock. The thought of teleportation hadn't fully crossed his mind when Tremor swung his fists at him, one at his torso and the other at his legs, sending him flying until he landed on the edge of the arena.

Pushing himself up on one arm, Rain lowered his mask to spit blood and saw Tremor charging at him. Rather than teleport, he conjured a geyser below Tremor to send him into the air and make him land in front of him. He wasted no time in delivering a brutal roundhouse kick that brought Tremor to his knees. Tremor tried to swing at his ankles, but he vanished. Realizing what Rain was doing, Tremor stood and twisted around a second afore Rain appeared next to him and uppercut him. Rain teleported in midair, reappearing several feet away from his opponent. His clothes were torn and bruises marred the skin of his torso and masked face.

The kombatants glared at one another, neither wanting to attack just yet out of concern that they would regret it. Rain had the advantage at the beginning; now Tremor did, but the Edenian was still a demigod and a hydromancer. And rocks could not float...

Rain shot a water blast which Tremor sidestepped. Tremor gasped when Rain attempted to drown him with a water bubble again, and threw a fireball that zipped over Rain's head, singeing his hair. Afterwards, he sent a spiked spherical rock rolling towards the Edenian to trip him. With a yelp, Rain landed face first. Summoning a rock from the ground, Tremor launched it upward, making it land on his opponent from above and shatter upon impact. Another rock flew straight at him and shattered as it made contact with his shoulder. Rain let out a mix of a groan and cry of pain.

The demigod trembled as he gripped his shoulder and managed to stand. Tremor felt confident there would not be a third drowning attempt, but he forgot about the teleportation. Rain disappeared to reemerge behind Tremor and blasted him in the back with a lightning bolt. He went into a handstand and launched himself forward to dig his feet into Tremor's back. More lightning bolts struck Tremor with each step Rain took toward him. Finally, he finished the assault by kicking his legs out.

A smirking Rain stood over his opponent, water and lightning forming in his palms as he walked to him, ready to deliver the killing blow despite the lack of an order to do so from Raiden or Shang Tsung. Tremor got into sitting position and suddenly his skin became lava. Then he summoned magma and directed it to hit Rain square in the face, stunning him. Rain screamed as he brought his hands to his eyes and blindly shot a lightning bolt that Tremor easily dodged. He recovered in time to dodge a punch and shoot more lightning which Tremor evaded.

When Rain tried to punch him, Tremor blocked the attack and threw his own punch to Rain's gut. He attempted a second punch, yet this time Rain caught his wrist and flipped him over his shoulder. He did this right as Tremor threw a fireball at his chest, making him stumble. Tremor did not hesitate to uppercut the demigod with all his might and leapt into the air to plant his feet on Rain's stomach. The ground beneath them cracked as they landed, mixing with the agonized shout Rain let out. He shot a water blast to knock Tremor off, but the criminal got up faster than Rain did and calmly walked up to him like Rain had to him minutes earlier.

Rain attempted a roundhouse kick. Tremor swiftly brought up an arm to block the kick, took hold of Rain's ankle, and slammed his rock-encased fist into the hydromancer's leg.

With a strangled cry, Rain crumbled to the floor after Tremor released him. He panted heavily and coughed up blood in between grunts of pain because of his broken leg. His attempt to get up were futile and provided amusement for Raiden, who was cackling and pointing at the defeated son of Argus.

"Finish him!" The deity ordered. Tremor glanced in his comrades' direction to see Kano smiling and nodding in approval while Tasia, Kobra, and Jarek were quietly clapping. He chuckled and turned his arm into a rock hammer.

"So much for those godly powers of yours." He jeered as he planted one foot on Rain's neck to pin him. He raised the rock hammer, ready to crush his opponent's skull...

...when someone rammed him with their shoulder and knocked him to the floor. Tasia and Jarek yelled his name in concern and rushed to his aid.

"No one puts another hand on my brother." Taven said, cold as ice."Not while I'm here."

"What?" Raiden yelled in furious disbelief as Taven knelt beside his injured half-brother and helped him into sitting position. He teleported to remerge in front of the two demigods, both hands crackling with electricity."Fine then." He smirked."I shall eliminate two birds with one stone." Rain was about to teleport them away, but he needn't have worried, because the lightning Raiden released straight at them was blocked by a wall of fire as Jade/Delia appeared to protect her son and stepson. She unleashed her telekinesis at the Thunder God, sending him flying into Tremor, Tasia, and Jarek.

"Stay away from my family." Delia's voice was colder and deadlier than Taven's had been moments ago. She undid the firewall and turned her attention to the pair behind her. She cast Raiden one last glare before teleporting herself and the demigods to the infirmary.

"That ended well." Tasia remarked sarcastically.

Kano and Tremor exchanged a glance, before once again facepalming in unison.

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Kenshi, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _I'll be honest: I dislike the idea of Tremor turning good. His bio and intros imply that he wants to switch sides whilst the prequel comic shows him being so loyal to Kano that he threatened to bring the entire palace down if Kotal Kahn didn't release him. Granted this isn't the only inconsistency between comic and game but it still irked me so I apologize to anyone who wanted Tremor as a good guy._

 _You also likely noticed that I deleted my prequel story and that's because I just realized I have no interest in writing it and it came across as pointless to me. The idea seemed fun at first but it soon became a drag so I will not be rewriting it. Sorry for the disappointment there._

 _Kibal121 - You're not the first to ask that, and all I can really say that you'll have to wait and see, but rest assured, I have no intention of going easy on them._

 _Taja - I've always pitied her too. She's so misguided because of that blade and she really does deserve a real chance at redemption like the one Sareena got._

 _LoveGlutton - Funny you would say that...*grins evilly*_

 _KaijuSentai - Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Thank you for the review._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 82:Nell (flashback chapter)_


	83. Chapter 82:Nell

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia. Anything, just to get rid of this, these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head, too?"  
— Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak)

 **Chapter 82:Nell**

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20 Years Ago:

How had an ordinary evening turned into a living nightmare?

She came to the cemetery as part of her weekly visit to Kabal's grave after work. As she knelt near the tombstone, however, footsteps sounded. She initially ignored them; it wasn't uncommon for others to visit their loved ones' final resting place and nod at each other in empathy if they crossed paths. It wasn't until the footsteps moved directly closer that she became alarmed. She reached for the taser in her coat pocket that Kabal and Stryker told to her carry wherever she went. They'd also taught her some self-defense moves too, so she was prepared for dangerous situations.

A cold, chilling laugh made her muscles tense. Her grip on the taser tightened. The footsteps, having stopped prior to the laugh, restarted. That was when she opted to run, and the laugh's owner followed.

Guilt for stepping on flowers and tombstones affected her, but the fight-or-flight response overcame that. She sent her apologies to the dead and their loved ones.

Her lungs burned, her breathing came in gasps, her saliva tasted like blood _,_ her legs ached, and adrenaline alone kept her running. Footfalls followed far behind and seemed to get closer every few seconds, though she could barely hear them over the sound of her breathing. Although she'd been moving for minutes, it felt like hours before she saw the traffic lights and heard cars on the nearly empty streets.

Her pursuer's footfalls were too far away to hear now, but she wouldn't risk slowing down or worse, stopping to look back, when she was this close to safety.

Thank god for the cop car parked near one of the cemetery entrances/exits. Who said cops were useless? She smiled, accelerating her pace and opening her mouth to shout to get their attention. The two officers heard the choked cry and twisted around right as she neared their vehicle. So distracted and urgent to reach them was she that she tripped on a rock and would have fallen if one officer hadn't hurried to catch her.

"Someone is chasing me!" She told them breathlessly, pointing a thumb over her shoulder."I was visiting my husband's grave when I heard someone nearby laughing...I got scared and...ran off...they followed me! Please help me!"

The officer who'd saved her from falling helped her stand up straight and gestured for his partner to do something. Nodding, the second officer checked the scene with his flashlight to find nothing."Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone here now. I think I see some footprints that don't match up with hers several feet away." He glanced at Nell to give her an assuring smile."Don't worry, ma'am, you're safe now. We'll get you out of here. Lemme just check to make sure nobody's there."

Nell nodded, sighing in relief."Thank you." She was safe, she was okay, everything was going to be fine. That was what she told herself as the officer ushered her into the backseat of the car. Unconsciously she slipped her hand into her pocket, taking comfort from the feeling of the taser within her grasp, and closed her eyes.

A gunshot, followed by a scream, made her eyes snap open. That scream belonged to the officer. His partner yelled in shock and in a flash of light, hit the ground as a corpse with blood splattering over the windows.

Nell covered her mouth to stifle a horrified scream. Familiar-sounding laughter caused her to shudder. She took out the taser, clutching it whilst hurrying to the door. The window of the door she was approaching was smashed by a fist that proceeded to unclench prior to grabbing her ponytail, pulling with such force that the chestnut tresses slipped free. She tasered her assailant. There was a pained cry and then an irritated growl.

Nell wasted no time in scrambling toward the other door, only to feel a sharp pain in her neck. She brought her hand to the spot, realizing she had been shot with a tranquilizer dart. Dismay and terror filled her as the tranquilizer took effect, blurring her vision and making her eyes flutter shut.

The last thing she heard before slipping into unconsciousness was that laugh...

* * *

Consciousness slammed into Nell like a ton of bricks dropping upon her head.

A gasp left the woman's lips the moment her eyes opened. The pounding of her heart echoed in her ears and her skull throbbed. When she tried to move, a chill rushed down her spine. Her skin prickled, and it occurred to her that she was lying on an ice cold floor.

She groggily sat up, causing a rattling sound that startled her. She looked around for its source. The room she occupied was dark and windowless. Nell realized the rattling sound was coming from below. Come to think of it, there was some pressure around her wrists. Looking down, she saw chains ensnaring the aforementioned joints. They must have emitted the noise whenever she moved.

The confusion she'd felt whilst awakening increased, then became horror when memories flooded into her brain. She had gone to the cemetery on her way home from work, someone chased her, she had met some police officers who agreed to get her out of there, and then...

Nell covered her mouth with both hands."My god." The words were muffled. Blood splattering over the car, screams, and that laugh replayed within her mind. Someone had murdered those innocent police officers. That same person had chased and kidnapped her.

Kidnapped. It was a word she heard and used on several occasions, especially when Kabal and Stryker discussed their jobs. There were also the crimes Kabal committed during his time with the Black Dragon Clan...

Kabal. Not a day passed that she didn't thank Stryker for introducing them. Their time together had been the happiest years of her life. The grief of losing him made her cherish that time even more, not regret it. She knew he could die in the line of duty and that his past was not one to be proud of, but it was worth it. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Lowering her hands and clenching her fists, she began searching for the chains' origin. She gave a tug, and with her gaze she followed the sound to above. The ceiling bore slots which the chains were attached to. Scrapes on her back indicated she'd been dragged.

She hugged her knees to her chest. Tears pricked her eyelids and trembles shot through her. Kidnapping was not a foreign concept to her, yet the shock remained. Millions of people who suffered some type of loss and/or victimization commented that they heard of such things occurring to others, but never imagined it could happen to them or anyone they knew. Now Nell truly understood their distress, as well as the fear that survivors who managed to outwit or escape serial killers described experiencing during their captivity; it was how those not fortunate enough to get away alive likely felt.

"I'm going to die." She mumbled. Tears freely descended her cheeks.

Suddenly there was a chuckle, too soft to be the one from the cemetery, but no less chilling. Following the chuckle came a cloud of smoke. Nell coughed and averted her gaze as the smoke cleared to reveal two women standing in front of her. The older of the females was dark-haired and clad in a silver breastplate with a purple gem at the center piece, shoulder pads, and gauntlets. The younger female possessed blood red hair that was styled into a ponytail, light green eyes, and pale skin. In addition, she wore a black tank top, arm-guards, combat boots, and red pants. While the former smirked down at Nell, the latter was frowning.

"Die?" The dark-haired woman tittered, shaking her head. She leaned downwards to Nell's eye level and the sudden proximity of their faces discomforted Nell. The smile that crossed the woman's lips indicated she was happily aware of this. Her gaze lowered to ogle the captive's body despite Nell covering herself with her knees, and the moan she emitted evoked a cringe from the redhead.

"Kabal sure knew how to pick 'em." She purred, turning to her companion."As I'm sure you can back up too, Kira. Right?"

Kira? Where had Nell heard that name before? The gears in her head turned while Kira scowled in response to her companion's implication.

"Sometimes I swear you're delusional." Kira muttered. She crossed her arms, frown returning."Why did you bring me here? I couldn't care less about that dead traitor or his widow." The sentence and emotionless tone seemed forced."There's no reason for us to be here, Tasia."

Tasia? Another familiar name. But that didn't make sense; she hadn't met these women, so why did their names sound so familiar? And how did they know Kabal? The gears in her head turned faster. Damn it, why couldn't she remember?

The door swung open, startling them. Three pairs of feet were approaching and there was that laugh again. Nell crawled to the wall, pressing her back against it.

"Look who's awake." Her captor's speaking voice was no less chilling than his laughter. The same could be said regarding his appearance. Part of his face was covered by a metal plate and one of his eyes was missing, in its place a glowing red orb. The two men accompanying him looked less intimidating, what with one being a blonde man wearing street clothes and the other one wearing sand-colored ninja attire.

The leader produced a butterfly knife and casually began trimming his beard while leering at Nell. Kira studied him, the occasional eyebrow raise or biting of lip hinting that she was debating something with herself.

"Something wrong, Kira?" The blonde inquired, having noticed the redhead's behavior.

"I'm fine, Kobra." She didn't look at him as she responded, her gaze focused on the leader. He showed no sign of noticing her scrutiny.

He stopped trimming his beard and spoke again."Kabal ain't here to protect ya anymore." A genius wasn't required to deduce his intentions for her.

"W-Who are you?" Nell stammered."Why are you doing this?"

Stepping forward and going onto one knee, he grinned."Name's Kano."

That name. It sounded even more familiar than the names of the women. Yet that didn't make any sense. How-

Kano, Kira, Tasia. Kabal had not just mentioned but also talked in length about those names, along with Kobra and Tremor. How could she have forgotten?

The Black Dragon Clan. The criminal organization Kabal had been part of.

And she was their prisoner.

Shrieking, she punched Kano in the face and scrambled away, forgetting about the chains restricting her movement. More surprised than pained, Kano cursed as he rubbed his jaw. She did not care how idiotic she looked; fear had overtaken her other senses and now commanded her. Kano was about to use his eye laser when Kira intervened by blowing a kiss containing purple mist. Yelping, Nell rubbed her eyes as darkness briefly dominated her vision. By the time the darkness cleared, Kira had her in a headlock.

"You're only making this more difficult for yourself." Kira whispered into her ear, then released her. Nell wanted to scream at her, but Kano's unexpected, rough grip on her hair cut off whatever insult she would've uttered. He lifted her so her feet dangled above the floor. Whimpers echoed throughout the room as she struggled within his grasp and listened to the mirth of the other Black Dragon members, all of whom were cackling, except for Kira.

Kano tossed her into the wall, which she hit face first afore crumbling to the floor. He snickered at her pained moan and lightly shoved Kira aside while making his way to his soon-to-be victim.

"You're putting up a stupid struggle for someone who's chained and knows they're screwed." Kobra remarked."Or about to be screwed, I should say." He added as an afterthought, snickering.

"Can I play with her too?" Tasia asked casually.

"I'll be happy to share her with all of ya once I'm done breaking her." Kano said over his shoulder. He grabbed Nell by the neck and slammed her head into the wall thrice. Blood slipped from her fortunately unbroken nose and two bruises now marred her left cheek in addition to her split upper lip.

"Didn't I say Kabal knew how to pick 'em?" Tasia pointed at Nell."This one won't be easy to break."

Kobra gave an ugly grin."Doesn't that make it more fun, though?"

Tremor nodded."Indeed."

Kira hid her fists within her cloak, and struggled not to let her shaking become noticeable. Droplets of blood spilled due to her nails penetrating her palms.

Dazed, Nell moaned in agony. Her brain screamed for her not to cease resisting, but her physical strength and adrenaline had faded. That did not stop her from grunting in protest and flinching as Kano forced her onto her stomach and ordered Tasia and Kobra to hold her arms down.

Nobody heard Kira's breath quicken or the growl she emitted through clenched teeth.

Kobra sighed."She won't stop squirming."

Growling, Kano used his eye laser. Nell cried out. The grips on her arms tightened. He shoved her head downward until she was kissing the floor. Tremor stepped forward to plant one foot on her back; she gasped. Kano shifted his grip to the nape of her neck to hold her down, using his free hand to unbuckle his belt.

Iron might as well have been binding her arms and causing more bruises than her chained joints. Tremor's boot would doubtless leave an imprint on her flesh. Kano's weight prevented her from kicking her feet. Not that kicking would be of use either.

She heard Kano grunt, felt him move, and...

Nails dug into the ground at the same time that eyes widened and a choked gasp echoed throughout the room. Pain was all she registered during the first thrust. She could not speak, could not breathe, could not think about anything other than how much it **hurt**...

"S-Stop!" She choked out. His laughter was haunting. Soon came the second thrust...

Nails dug even deeper and gasps grew louder. Bile threatened to rise in her throat. The pain was still there, but the humiliation was worse. Control had been stolen from her by this bastard. She was no better than some sex doll to him, to be used and discarded like trash. Kabal had said Kano was a monster and the truth of that statement was clear as day to her.

Kabal. She focused on the memory of her husband as the thrusts became faster and the pain increased, making her gasps and pleas for the monster to stop turn into screams. He was dead, and for the first time, she was grateful for that; he didn't have to witness her in this condition, screaming and begging for the assault to end.

Her own cries drowned out the audible amusement of her tormentors. The pain, both physical and mental, was excruciating. Every cry and plea she uttered, every movement she made was not of her own free will, no different than the act she had to participate in. Instinct overpowered reason, the latter of which knew that no amount of squirming, crying, or pleading would help. Yet both instinct and reason agreed that this was wrong, that she could not and would not ever enjoy this. Endure, reason commanded. Fight, instinct commanded. Neither gave her the ability to choose, just like Kano stole her right to choose by forcing himself upon her.

Cries soon resembled croaks and coughs. The sole reason she continued emitting those sounds was to muffle the Black Dragon members' cackles. Let her own suffering distract her from the glee said suffering provided these criminals.

Something cold and sharp touched her posterior, then swiped.

If not for her lost voice, Nell would've shrieked; she merely managed to gasp. The gasp she let out when the second slash came was louder and the fury and embarrassment that accompanied it were even stronger.

The bile couldn't be suppressed anymore, ascending her throat so rapidly it hurt and violently forcing itself out of her mouth. Kobra cursed and moved away. Tasia did not move. Instead, she pinned both of Nell's arms and spat on the distraught woman. Nell supposed their disgust for the vomit was why they didn't push her head into the pool containing the emptied contents of her stomach.

The emptying of his victim's guts did not deter Kano. If anything, it encouraged him and his thrusts continued with renewed vigor, the pain growing stronger alongside each intrusion and her resistance faded.

Had anybody glanced at Kira, they would have noticed the death glare she directed at Kano.

* * *

Nell lay there, shivering.

Her eyes were too dry to shed tears and her throat too sore to release sobs. Her limbs were numb, as were her senses. Blank was her visage, with an emotionlessness she hadn't previously been familiar with. The pool of vomit from hours ago remained; no one considered cleaning it up. She lost count of how many times he'd taken her, and couldn't remember when she finally fell silent and endured it until the very end.

He must've lost interest due to her silence because he finished shortly afterwards and left her alone for tonight. But he promised to be back tomorrow for the second round. It became clear at that moment that her ordeal was far from over. Kano planned to keep her, make her his personal sex slave whom he would allow his friends to do equally despicable if not worse things to.

Time was lost on her. She could've been here for an eternity or mere minutes. It did not matter, nothing mattered. She didn't want to know long she'd been here or how much longer she would be. Kano was having no difficulty breaking her. The feeling of his breath on her cheek as he promised there would be more 'fun' the next day would have caused her to weep if she could.

They were sufficiently smart to ensure the bleeding ended lest she bleed to death and ruin their fun. Kira wordlessly tended to the wounds, ignoring her teammates' laughter and taunting toward the victim. Nell offered no reaction. Her brain could not create any responses, for the shock overpowered her senses.

So lost in shock was she that she failed to hear the door opening and the footfalls of the visitor. The person knelt, and seeing her unresponsiveness, touched her arm. Nell snapped back into reality, instinctively punching at the person, who easily caught the fist and put up their other arm to block another punch. Squinting, Nell recognized her visitor: Kira. The younger female lowered the arm she'd used to block the punch and pressed one finger to her lips.

"Kano isn't here." She whispered."Neither are Tremor and Tasia. They went to Outworld to close a deal. It's just Kobra and me at home, but they'll be back in about an hour. Kobra fell asleep on guard duty, which isn't shocking. And someone has to feed you to keep you alive." It was then that Nell saw the food tray Kira had placed on the floor. There wasn't much, just a cup of water and some bread.

Although her stomach growled, it also twisted. She wasn't certain how long it'd been since she vomited, but she doubted Kira would bring her food without considering that first. Kira offered the cup to her. As Nell reached out to take it, the numbness in her wrist was replaced by pain and she gasped as her arm fell to her side.

"Easy." Kira placed one hand on her back."You're gonna be alternating between soreness and numbness for awhile."

"How long?" Nell asked, barely audible."How long has it been since...?" She would have hugged herself if she weren't in pain.

Kira slowly let her hand slip from the other woman's back."A couple of hours." When Nell started coughing, she handed her the cup and this time Nell managed to take it.

Nell sighed as her dry throat was soothed by the water. She took the bread in spite of her shaking hand and bit off a large chunk. After washing it down with water, she decided to hit a gift horse in the mouth by asking,"Why are you helping me? And don't give me some cliche shit like 'it's the right thing to do'. I can't imagine a criminal guilty of murder and arms dealing, among other things, saying that."

Kira looked at her, taken aback and impressed by the statement, then smiled wryly."You don't know that."

"The fact that you're still with Kano proves otherwise."

The wry smile vanished."My presence is the only reason you won't starve to death."

"I'll vomit it out when Kano initiates round 2 anyway. My stomach just happens to overpower my brain." As if to prove the accuracy of those words, she coughed and spat a saliva-covered chunk of bread, and downed her drink. She got onto her hands and knees, groaning in between pants. She shrugged Kira's hand off her shoulder and lifted her gaze to meets hers."Kabal talked about every single one of you, especially you. Kira, was it?" She didn't wait for confirmation from the redhead."He avoided going into too much detail about his old buddies to me and Stryker, but he told us enough to understand what kind of people you are."

Kira was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest now."Oh?" She inclined her head."And what kind of people are we?"

"Monsters." Was her simple answer.

"Care to eleborate?"

Nell sneerd."Gladly. You're terrorists, thieves, arms dealers, murderers, kidnappers, and backstabbers." She chuckled humorlessly."Oh and rapists, as I can attest to." Now that the numbness had faded, the feelings returned. Pain was supposed to remind people they were alive and in that moment she wanted to forget she was alive. She could still feel everything, every unwelcome invasion from Kano's thrusts, every strike and cut inflicted on her flesh, none showing mercy in their reminders. Yet as agonizing as those reminders were, they paled in comparison to the powerlessness."You may not have participated in raping me or restraining me, but you're equally culpable." She spat at Kira's shoes."You stood there, watching while that bastard violated me, and did **nothing** about it. Somehow, though, you found the **gall** to come in to give me food and water hours later. What do you expect in return? Gratitude?" She scoffed."Is this your way of seeking atonement? Does seeing me remind you of Kabal, of how you called him an idiot when he asked you leave the Black Dragon with him? He thought of you as his daughter and you chose to stay here with these criminals instead of taking the chance to quit and do something better with your life. And why? Was it some sick sense of abandonment over Kabal choosing not to follow Kano's madness anymore? Did you feel that he abandoned you by taking a stand? Or do you enjoy raping, killing, and stealing?"

Kira clenched her jaw. Nell was satisfied at having struck a nerve with her speech. Served this bitch right for daring to pity her and presuming she was owed gratitude for that. Then she realized Kira tensed whenever rape was mentioned, and it clicked as to why she reacted that way.

"You've been raped, haven't you?" It slid off the tongue as more statement than question, and the darkening of Kira's expression confirmed its correctness. Nell didn't know what to feel toward her now, for the pity and contempt had become equal with realization soon following.

Empathy. Kira showed kindness to her out of empathy.

"Who? When?" Elaboration wasn't necessary.

Biting her lip, Kira looked to the door."It happened several times, starting from when I was nine and ending when I turned seventeen. He did much more than rape me and I made sure to remind him of that when I killed him."

"Do you still feel it?" Nell's voice had dropped to a whisper. She unconsciously embraced herself.

"Yes." No emotion affected the redhead's tone or countenance."I think I'll keep feeling it until I die. Something like that...you can't forget it. It's the first thing I think about it when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Even when you start regaining your sense of self-control, you don't forget how it was stolen from you, nor how you couldn't do anything to stop it."

Swallowing thickly, Nell nodded."Sounds about right."

"As for who did that to me, he was in the business of buying and enslaving children. My parents got some good money from him in exchange for relieving them of their burden."

"Your own parents sold you?" She hid her horror, knowing the futility of showing it. No amount of any emotion would undo what was done to Kira, or to Nell herself for that matter. They would carry their trauma with them forever. This didn't stop her from commenting, of course."I hope they rot in hell."

Kira smirked."Don't worry; I made sure to send them there."

Nell wasn't surprised. What little she knew of Kira supported the idea of her killing those who'd wronged her and she honestly couldn't blame her.

"Does Kano want to do me what your slaver did to you?" The question was rhetorical, something Kira undoubtedly recognized.

"Yes." She replied bluntly and tonelessly. Her brows furrowed."I'm sorry."

The door opened and Kobra called her name. His footfalls followed. Thinking quickly, Kira mouthed,"Sorry.", to Nell. The reason for her second apology became obvious when she backhanded Nell, making her yelp more from getting caught off guard than hurt.

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you." Kira hissed."Unless you want another smack, that is. I'd be happy to comply."

"Screw you!" Nell yelled, playing along.

"Kira, what's going on?" Kobra demanded."I thought I heard arguing in here."

Kira whipped around to glare at him. She pointed to the tray."You were supposed to stay awake on guard duty and feed the bitch, but you fell asleep at your post, so I had to keep her alive in your stead." She snorted."Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

Kobra sheepishly rubbed his neck."It's not like she's a threat." He gestured to the chains."I mean, she's chained to the ceiling. How dangerous could she be?"

Kira snorted again."Famous last words. Even if she isn't dangerous, you still had a job to do and seeing as you're as incapable of doing it as every other assignment you've received, I'm taking over."

"Now, hold on!" His sheepishness became indignation."I am not **that** incomplete!"

Nell fought not to raise her eyebrows. Kabal hadn't overstated Kobra's minuscule intellect and was just as confused as anyone else might be as to why he chose to recruit the idiot. It was understandable to occasionally mistake words, but this was clearly not a random event.

Kira sighed."The word you're looking for is **incompetent**! Are you sure you finished high school? No, really, that's a serious question. On second thought, forget high school, are you sure you finished middle school? Because most people who finished middle school don't misuse the word 'incomplete' or fall asleep on the job all the time!"

Nell laughed weakly."You two sound like an old married couple." That detail was not omitted by Kabal, she simply misunderstood how accurate he was regarding their relationship.

"I told you to shut up." Kira coldly said over her shoulder. The smallest hint of genuine irritation was present.

"And I told you to screw yourself!" Nell spoke through gritted teeth, half-feigned and half-sincere.

Kobra acted with such swiftness that even Kira couldn't react in time. His aflame fist connected with Nell's bruised cheek, sending her into the wall. She whimpered as her previously undamaged cheek received a bruise from its impact with the wall and something swirled within her mouth. Moaning, she spat it out, and saw it was a tooth.

"That is how you shut somebody up." Kobra stated icily.

Within five seconds, Kira had marched to Kobra and slapped him."Idiot!" She yelled over his yelp."I've seen you kill men with that attack and you go using it on her?! Kano made it perfectly clear that he isn't interested in fucking a corpse."

"You hit her when I walked in." Kobra said, rubbing his cheek

Kira seethed."You know full well the difference between backhanding someone and almost killing them with one blow." She pinched the bridge of her nose."I meant what I said about taking over as guard of her cell and bringer of her meals. That isn't up for debate."

"Kano will disagree."

Kira chuckled, the sound a mixture of mocking and arrogant."I'm his second-in-command. He may like you, but he trusts me more and my decision is final once approved by him. You'd best remember that."

Kobra leaned forward, evading her personal space."You know you're starting to sound like Kabal. He loved reminding me of his authority over me."

Kira stepped backwards."And you loved forgetting about the existence of said authority." She lifted her chin."Get out. That is an order and I'll gladly do worse than slap you if you disobey."

Smoke clouds appeared in the center of the room, clearing to reveal Kano, Tasia, and Tremor. Kira moved further away from Kobra to avoid arousing suspicion of their closeness. Nell crawled to the wall and curled into fetal position, aware of how futile the action was. Was the uncountable amount of times he'd taken her not sufficient satisfaction to Kano's sadism for one day?

Hand on her hip, Tasia stepped closer to the arguing duo."Problem?" She wagged her fingers in Nell's direction.

"No." Kira said."Just Kobra being an idiot."

"The usual then." Tremor said dryly. Kobra scowled at him.

Sniggering, Tasia began sauntering to Nell, who slid away, as if that would help. Reaching out, she grabbed her hair to pull her closer, pleased by the squeak she let out. Tasia's touch made her skin crawl, almost outdoing Kano in terms of disturbing; Nell wondered if she outdid her male companions in every bad category.

"Aww, are you gonna weep, scream, and throw up again?" Tasia teased, stroking her cheek with the tips of her fingernails. Nell shivered. Tasia brought her lips to her ear, practically kissing it as she whispered,"If you think Kano is rough, wait until it's my turn to play with you." Her hand suddenly slid in between Nell's thighs and squeezed. Shock, disgust, and humiliation mixed together into the yelp Nell emitted. Bile begged for release as flashbacks of Kano's assault burst inside her brain and those three feelings were all she understood in that moment.

Shooting out her leg, she blindly kicked. The criminal groaned upon being kicked in the very spot she'd grabbed Nell. Tasia landed on her backside, quivering and groaning. Tremor ran to her aid and Kobra looked ready to strike Nell with his flaming fist, but Kira beat him to it; with as little force as possible, she backhanded Nell for the second time. Simply because she held back did not man it didn't hurt, but she'd accept that in lieu of whatever the others would've done to her.

"You don't learn, do you?" Kira asked, cold as ice."The more you struggle, the worst it gets." Did she really think submitting would lessen the torment? No, she knew that was as useless as struggling and she preferred to fight. She would not let it be easy for these bastards to break her.

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe and pain exploded in her head as she was slammed against the wall. Her toes curled, trying to touch ground that wasn't there. She tried to pry Kano's fingers off. How could he have moved that quickly?

"Don't worry." He told Kira."She'll learn eventually. The hard way." He tightened his hold, and she wheezed.

She clawed at his hand and swung her legs to kick him, to no avail. She might as well be attempting to harm steel. Kano lifted her even higher, her wheezes for oxygen increasing in number yet decreasing in volume the longer he choked her. Her complexion blued and the will to remain conscious was fading when he released her and she fell onto all fours, coughing and gasping for air. The chains rattled as she massaged her bruised neck.

Drawing his butterfly knife, Kano twirled it and then tossed it. The knife impaled the wall near Nell's head."Ya didn't think I was gonna kill ya that easily, did ya?" He tossed another butterfly knife, this time impaling the floor right next to her foot."Oh no, love, the fun is just beginning." Tasia yanked both blades out and threw them back to their owner. She glanced at Nell, conveying with that one malicious look exactly what she intended to do to her once given the opportunity. Nell redirected her gaze downwards to avoid gazing at the dark-haired murderess.

The memory of Tasia's unwanted touches and Kano's violations desceded from her brain to her stomach, causing the bread she'd consumed earlier to ascend her throat and fly out of her mouth. Some of it stayed inside and naturally she started choking on it. Realizing the problem, Kira slapped her on the back with sufficient force to make her puke the remnants out.

Even after the vomit was released, Nell dry-heaved, resembling a wild animal in her desperate attempts to throw up anything that would come out. The ability to breathe was weaker than during her near strangulation moments ago. Sweat covered her from head to toe.

Cackles roared in her eardrums. Tasia was on her knees, clutching her stomach and shedding tears as she pointed at Nell. Kobra was rolling across the floor. Kano slammed his hand against the wall to keep from falling over from the strength of his hysterics. Tremor seemed to simply be grinning behind his mask. No one noticed Kira glaring at the leader once again.

Nell finished dry-heaving with a moan of helpless agony and curled into fetal position. The pain in her belly and throat was overwhelming, almost equaling the humiliation her victimizers were so amused by. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Dear god, let it end. Why couldn't Kano have killed her when he had the chance? If she weren't so weak she might've contemplated strangling herself with her own chains. Why couldn't death claim her? What did she have to live for? Everyone she loved was dead. At least in death she would be with them.

"Kill me." She whined."Please, just put an end to it. Kill me and get it over with. I can't take it anymore. Cut my throat, strangle me, stab me, I don't care. Do whatever you want to my corpse. I just want to die!" She was bawling now.

She didn't think it possible, but the cackles rose in volume. She wanted to scream at them to stop laughing and finish her already. If they weren't going to kill her, then she'd somehow do it herself. Wait, she knew how! Kira was standing next to her, her attention focused on Kano and not the daggers strapped to her belt. Yes! Exactly what she needed!

Nell launched herself at Kira, the sound of chains rattling mixing with the redhead's surprised exclamation. Thinking this was an attack, she drew one dagger seconds before Nell snatched it. Curses replaced cackles as realization of the prisoner's intentions sunk in. Just as Nell was about to use the dagger, Kira caught her arm and took the dagger back. Nell spat at Kira. She'd been so close to ending it. If there any shred of humanity in her, she'd have let her commit suicide.

The kicking and screaming Nell could not break free from Kira's grip. The redhead let her go, stepped away, and sheathed the dagger.

"And here I though breaking ya would be slow and fun." Kano said. Nell turned to face him, and he captured her chin and squeezed until her face resembled that of a fish."Fun as it's been, I ain't done with ya yet. Oh no, love, I'm gonna take my time. If ya try to stay awake or starve yourself, we'll knock you out and force feed you. I'm keeping ya alive until you're too old to play with. Make yourself at home 'cause you're never gonna see daylight again. Speaking of which, ya may wanna catch up on your sleep if you're gonna stay awake for round two tomorrow."

Tasia teleported to reappear in kneeling position behind her and jammed a needle into her neck. Nell opened her lips, but no sound came out and within seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

For the fourth time that day, Kano finished.

There wasn't an audience this time, just the rapist and the victim.

Nell hid her face in the crook of her arm, shaking and digging her teeth into her bottom lip as she experienced the familiar, agonizing feeling of his thrusts. Yet as painful as that was, it paled in comparison to the other things he'd done to her. After taking her twice, he groped her breasts with sufficient force to bruise and zapped the nipples with his laser. Bite marks were on her arms, and nose was broken from him slamming her head into the wall for attempting to steal his dagger. The third time he took her was from the front, forcing her to look into his eyes as he violated her. He taunted her during and after the act, then took her again from behind.

Three days. That was how long she'd here. Three days of torture, rape, taunting, and suicidal thoughts. Each day felt like an eternity in hell.

Kira brought her bread and water and tended her wounds everyday. Initially, Nell refused to eat and spat at Kira when the criminal reminded her that it was either eat willingly or be force fed. After tending her wounds, Kira reluctantly informed Kano, who kept his promise. Needless to say, she settled for the willing option afterwards.

Kira had the gall to apologize, claiming she was just following orders. Suddenly, Nell empathized with the surviving victims of the Nazis who'd claimed the same thing. What bothered her the most, however, was Kira's attempts to make conversation during her visits, as if she cared for the wife of the man she'd labeled foolish and cowardly for deserting the clan. Any empathy Nell felt for the girl due to her childhood ordeal vanished the moment Kira stopped her from ending her life. Chances of it returning died from that useless apology.

Speak of the devil, she was likely listening in right now. Not that she had a choice, considering she indeed became the new guard at Nell's cell. She'd probably enter with food, water, and medical supplies soon, since Kano seemed ready to leave. Why else was he zipping up his pants and humming to himself? He knelt, pulled her head close by pulling her hair, and whispered,"Ya weren't very loud today. Maybe you're starting to enjoy-"

Her eyes were the sizes of saucers."Fuck you."

"What'd ya say?" He demanded, threateningly slow.

"I said," She growled through her teeth and then yelled,"Fuck you!" He released her from shock, and she unceremoniously crumbled to the floor. The shock faded into fury that he expressed by backhanding her. She'd grown accustomed to the sting of those strikes, preferring them to knife and laser attacks.

"What's the matter?" She mumbled, touching her cheek."I thought you liked it when I scream. Or do you only enjoy it when I'm desperate to make the pain stop?" She scoffed."Too bad for you then. Do you wanna cry to mommy now?" She wiped dirt from her mouth. The soreness in her thighs worsened with each violation.

The bottom of Kano's boot met the spot betwixt her shoulder blades and she landed on her forearms and elbows. She shakily pushed herself up, and Kano kicked her hard in the stomach.

"T-That's getting old." She croaked. True as that may be, it still hurt.

All of a sudden, her airway was cut off by Kano wrapping his arm around her neck.

"Oh, please, that's already old!" She choked out."We both know you...won't kill me. You want to torture me...as revenge for Kabal's betrayal...which you can't do if I'm dead. It's too easy a-and...would be wasting a p-perfectly good...victim." She grimaced."I-Isn't that right?"

Growling, Kano increased the pressure, then paused and growled again as he released her.

"That's what I thought." She said upon regaining her breath. She spat in his direction. If he wanted to break, she would give him the displeasure making that task as difficult as possible, perhaps enough for him to reconsider keeping her alive.

She was forced onto her back with the blade held dangerously close to her thigh.

"What's the matter?" He was squeezing her neck in one hand and holding his weapon in the other. He leaned down so their faces were inches apart."Got nothing to say?" She turned her head to the side. He guffawed, angering her enough to find something to say.

"Kabal was too good for you idiotic monsters." Acid surrounded every syllable.

His grip tightened, and she prayed that he would lose control long enough to kill her.

"Kano." Kira had entered, carrying the tray and medical supplies. "Are you done?" Her voice was emotionless.

Kano put away the knife and allowed Nell to breathe again."She's all yours." He gestured to his victim, already on his way out.

If looks could kill, Kira would've been reduced to ashes from Nell's expression of pure malice. The Black Dragon second-in-command wordlessly aided Nell in sitting up, handed her the tray, and began tending to her injuries. Nell slapped her hand away. Startled, Kira reached for her, only for Nell to throw the contents of the cup at her, soaking her hair and tank top. Then she tossed the bread straight at Kira's nose. Kira winced, then sighed.

"Are you going to tell Kano on me again?" Nell inquired icily. As much as he feared another force feeding session, it'd be worth it to insult Kira.

Kira's eyes narrowed."I won't let you die."

"Why? Because I remind you of Kabal or because of your orders?"

"Both." Kira murmured."Now stop acting this way. It'll make things worse for you."

Nell chortled derisively."Is there a course of action that will make things better for me?" Kira offered no response."That's what I thought. If you possessed some semblance of humanity, you'd have helped me long ago."

"By assisting you in committing suicide?" Hardness entered Kira's tone."Would your husband have approved of that?" How **dare** she bring Kabal into this?

"Would he approve of me letting Kano break me?" Nell was consumed with the overwhelming desire to murder the redhead with her bare hands."Better yet, would he approve of your bullshit excuse for going along with everything Kano does? I was correct, wasn't I? About you resenting Kabal for, in your opinion, 'abandoning' you? He would have been disappointed, no, **disgusted** with you, and that torments you more than my loss of the will to live torments me, doesn't it?"

Kira stood up with such quickness that Nell fell back in surprise. Trembling with ire and clenching her fists at her sides, she stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her. Briefly, Nell regretted her tirade, but that regret died once she remembered her reasons for delivering it.

When she awoke the next morning, the food and bread were gone and Kano made no mention of her refusal to eat again.

* * *

Another day passed.

Kano was less rough, not wanting to accidentally kill her and ruin his own fun. And by less rough, she meant he refrained from using his laser and knives. His punches, kicks, and slaps retained their usual force. Exhaustion rendered her unconscious during a rape. Kano was displeased by this, seeing as he was in the middle of raping her from the front, and her losing consciousness ruined his enjoyment from forcing her to make eye contact with him. Luckily, she remained asleep while he completed the assault and woke up as he was preparing to leave.

Kira would arrive soon. Why she hadn't told Kano of her refusal to eat was beyond her. Nonetheless, it meant she'd disobeyed orders and for that, Nell was grateful. That said, she doubted it would reoccur, and decided to ensure that today's encounter would be a silent one. No more wasting her breath on this lost cause.

A cloud of smoke appeared and Nell's heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly who was responsible for that smoke cloud.

Tasia stood grinning like the Cheshire Cat, with her hands clasped behind her back. The predatory look in her eyes discomforted Nell.

"Kano gave me permission to play with you." She explained."He feels guilty for not having as much time for me anymore and changed his mind about letting me wait until he's broken you. Kira also knows, so don't worry about her walking in on us." She crouched in front of Nell, the smile no longer reaching her eyes."Don't think I've forgotten about you kicking me. I was sore for awhile, you know."

Nell laughed weakly."You say that like it's a bad thing. I'm sad that you're not **still** sore."

Tasia clicked her tongue."If you think that taunting us back will convince us to put you out of your misery, then I should tell you that you're wasting your breath. Face it; you'll spend the rest of your life in this cell and there's nothing you can do about it. Now..." Her grin widened."Let's get to the fun." With a light kick, she knocked Nell onto her back and drew one katana, pointing it at her chest."Unless you want to get maimed, I suggest you behave."

Nell considered leaning into the katana to cut her throat. As if reading her thoughts, Tasia planted her foot on her shoulder. Confident that she would behave, the criminal moved her blade away slightly whilst keeping it at a threatening proximity and removed her foot. She knelt down and abruptly sunk her nails into Nell's thigh. Nell reacted rather than thought, kicking Tasia square in the face. She scrambled away, yelling incoherently over Tasia's furious cursing.

Teleporting, Tasia reemerged in front of Nell and kicked her in the jaw.

"Maiming it is then." She raised the katana overhead. The door swung opened loudly and they both turned at the sound of rapid footsteps.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Hurling herself forward as a ball, Kira knocked Tasia into the wall and jammed a syringe into her neck. Tasia was rendered unconscious almost instantly.

Kira was shaking as she stood and turned to Nell."Are you alright?" She asked, the previous emotionlessness having entirely left her voice."Did she-" Nell shook her head.

Kira marched to her, producing a key from her pocket, and shoving it into the lock."The drug from that syringe won't affect Tasia for as long as it affected you. We need to be out of this room before she wakes up. There's an air vent opening on a wall down the hall." She removed her cloak and put it on Nell, who gratefully accepted it."Can you walk?"

"I may limp a little." She replied.

Nodding, Kira supported Nell's weight with her own as they hurried to the door and into the fortunately empty hall where they reached the air vent opening sans incident. No sooner had they entered the vents, than Tasia's shouts were heard from the torture room. Kira wasn't overstating it when she said the drug's effect on Tasia was weaker.

"Where are we going?" Nell asked.

"Kano's quarters. He'll be awake and running to your cell in all the confusion, giving me the opportunity to steal the portal device so we can flee."

They could hear Kano, Tremor, and Kobra shouting in confusion as they rushed to discover the source of Tasia's distress. Nell held onto Kira as they moved through the vents, trusting the redhead to guide her based on the claim that she knew this place like the back of her hand.

Could she truly trust Kira, though? What if she was leading her into a trap? What if that syringe had no drug and that was why it hardly affected Tasia? What if...no, that didn't make sense. Kira displayed none of the sadism of her teammates, nor interest in wasting creativity on such petty traps. These last several days had simply taken their toll on Nell's mind. The sooner they left, the better.

As predicted, Kano's quarters were empty. Kira removed the hatch and jumped into the room below. She found the device on a nightstand, cursing when she realized two things: there was no signal to make it work and the vent opening was too high for her to reach.

"Are there other openings you can use nearby?" Nell asked.

"In the hall, but then I risk getting caught. Here, catch." She threw the device upwards and Nell just barely caught it. Getting onto the bed, she extended her hands upwards. Nell carefully placed the device in the cloak's pocket and extended her hands downwards as Kira jumped, catching her rescuer by the arms and using what little strength she had to pull her up.

"Come on, we need to get to the roof so we can get a signal. Otherwise it won't work." Kira explained."Move. It won't be long before Kano realizes my plan."

The journey to the roof took five minutes, yet it might as well have been hours as far as Nell was concerned. Her eagerness to see daylight, or even moonlight, drove her to press on. They had made it this far, they might as well make it to the end. Kira leapt at the hatch, knocking it open with a powerful punch, then aided in Nell in exiting the vent.

It was nighttime, and a full moon was out tonight. Nell never thought she'd be so glad to see a full moon. She gazed at it in childlike awe and inhaled the fresh air she dearly missed during her captivity while Kira retrieved the device and starting pressing buttons whilst holding it up to strengthen the signal.

"Got it!" She exclaimed triumphantly."Okay, setting up our destination..."

"Going somewhere?" Kira almost dropped the device when she heard Kobra's voice. The blonde was standing near an open door and glaring at Kira.

Kira cursed under her breath."How did you...?"

"I may not be a criminal mastermind, but I'm not as stupid as you think I am. Stealing the portal device was the quickest method of travel if you were planning to escape. Kano and the others will come to the same conclusion soon enough."

"We'll be gone by then." Kira stated."And you can't stop us. Or stall us, for that matter."

Sighing, Kobra crossed his arms."I know. Just like you couldn't stop Kabal from leaving."

The mention of their mentor struck a nerve within Kira, more so than when Nell had mentioned him. For a moment, her unemotional demeanor fell and the hardened criminal was replaced by a young woman who'd never allowed herself to mourn the only person who ever truly cared about her, the same person whom she'd rejected out of pride.

"Come with me." The words tumbled from her lips, stunning Kobra. He seemed tempted to accept, and in that moment Nell realized just how complicated the relationship between Kabal's two protégés was.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the temptation disappeared from Kobra's visage and when he spoke his voice was cold as ice."You're an idiot if you think I'd go with you."

Empathy was written across Kira's facial features now, having realized exactly how Kabal felt when she uttered those words to him. She nodded and looked away."I'm not surprised to hear you say that. Maybe Kabal wasn't either when I said that to him." She pressed a button, and a ported opened directly behind Nell, who fell inside with a gasp.

Kira then jumped into the portal, which closed immediately afterwards.

* * *

"You were right."

Nell looked up from the water bottle she'd been occasionally drinking out of in response to Kira's statement. The device had been damaged by a small fall after the portal brought them to Brooklyn, where they decided to spend the night in an abandoned apartment building out of fear that the Black Dragon would be searching for them at night. Kira managed to steal some water, energy bars, and clothes for Nell to last until morning, assuring her she would be fine and refusing to rest until she made sure that Nell was safe.

The sun would soon rise. Despite getting little sleep while in captivity, Nell also refused to rest until she was 100% safe, so she stayed awake with Kira, who kept watch in case they were discovered. They hadn't spoken for hours, having settled into comfortable silence afore Kira unexpectedly spoke up.

Kira sat on the windowsill, gazing at the sky. That was what she had been doing prior to breaking the quietude anyway. Currently, she was looking at Nell with a somber expression and clutching something in her hand.

"I was angry at Kabal for awhile after he left the Black Dragon. I started hesitating, and that frustrated me. My conscience, something I believed had died alongside my innocence long ago, was resurfacing. I considered leaving, but figured I would regret that decision, so I stayed. Things weren't the same without Kabal. I didn't feel in control anymore. Kano transformed the clan into group of psychos for hire no different than common hitmen. After Kabal's death, which was partly Kano's fault, I went to the supposed scene of his death and found this." Opening her fist, she revealed a wedding band."It belonged to your husband, but you already know that. I...I guess I kept it because I **needed** to remember him. No one, not even my own parents cared about and respected me before I met Kabal. Meeting you...brought back feelings I didn't want to experience. I tried to ignore what you said about me resenting Kabal and being as horrible as Kano, Tasia, Kobra, and Tremor, but it was pointless. The worst kind of evil is seeing evil and doing nothing about it. I won't pretend to be a good person, given the things I've done, from selling weapons to terrorists to murdering innocents, and that just makes my inaction worse." She tossed the ring to Nell."I don't deserve to touch it, or even grieve for Kabal." Her voice cracked at that last sentence, and she looked close to crying."You don't have to forgive me or feel sorry for me. We both know I don't deserve that either."

Nell studied Kabal's ring, then at her own wedding band on her finger. Kira, this misguided young woman who had emotionally hurt Kabal and watched Nell suffer for days under Kano, had ultimately saved her from a life of imprisonment and just poured her heart out to her without expecting forgiveness or sympathy. Because of the events that had transpired recently, Nell's opinion of Kira was mixed, and Kira acknowledged that.

And so she made a decision.

"Yes, you do." Sliding her ring off her finger, she placed it in the palm that held its counterpart and tossed both rings to Kira."I have enough memories and mementos to remember my husband by. I don't need these, but I think you do. Keep them, as a sign of...good faith."

Kira was speechless. Her mouth was agape and more tears pricked her eyelids. When she regained her voice, she was smiling sadly."Take care of yourself, Nell."

Nell nodded, reciprocating the sad smile."You too, Kira. And thank you."

* * *

 _Sorry for the wait. Family matters and a part time summer job kept me busy. Hope this was worth the wait. This is the longest chapter I've ever written to date. I wanted to add more, like maybe showing how Nell reacted when she found out she was pregnant and how she raised Kevin, but this chapter felt long enough already so I decided to do a part 2 sometime in the future._

 _I apologize if the last few scene scenes felt rushed, but after months, I really wanted to finish this and move on with the story._

 _I initially started writing this immediately after posting Tremor's, but after writing 40% of it, I found myself displeased with it and opted to rewrite it. I never imagined it'd take so long, though. I hesitated to write a rape scene, but decided to do it anyway. It felt too important to leave out, alth_ _ough_ _it was difficult to write. I tried t_

 _o focus more on the psychological aspects more than the physical ones?_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Taja - His intro dialogues with Kano and Bo' Rai Cho seem to imply as much._

 _CharlieFreak180 - To say your review about Raiden baffled me would be an understatement. Can you please explain why you think that? As for Nell, she is stated in a few chapters to be Kevin's mother and Kabal's wife whom Kano kidnapped and raped until Kira helped her escape. She is an OC, but not a new character in this story._

 _Copymith - Fujin and Drahmin will get more attention soon enough ;)_

 _Guest - Well, he's definitely obsessed, but not that kind of obsession. That song is stuck in my head, though, and I've rewatched that movie ten times now XD_

 _Next up: Chapter 83:Stryker II_


	84. Chapter 83:Stryker II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"You battled monsters. You sweat and cried your way to this one prolific moment where you finally realize that those dark days and sleepless nights were pre-requisites to your becoming."  
— Jennifer Elisabeth (Born Ready: Unleash Your Inner Dream Girl)

 **Chapter 83:Stryker II**

* * *

Silence consumed the room as Kira concluded her story.

Stryker wasn't so naive to expect Nell's ordeal not to be traumatic. He'd heard enough about Kano to know the man was a monster, yet hearing every little detail of the hell his friend had experienced chilled him to the bone. Years as a police officer and revenant hardened enough to hide his reaction to such horrors, be they by his own hand or another's, though the feelings, however well hidden, remained.

He stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Kira sat on Kevin's bed, her vacant eyes looking straight ahead and avoiding the gazes of her audience. Kevin, the one who'd demanded the whole story about his conception, was staring at the back of her head. No tears pricked his eyelids, nor did his calm expression falter. He had lost the will to live long before Kano kidnapped him, so it was unsurprising for him to hear how his mother reacted during captivity. He clearly understood that it wasn't his fault that he'd been conceived in such a manner and that his love, respect, and gratitude for his mothe increased now that he knew the entire truth.

Even after Kabal talked some sense into them, Stryker and Kira were hesitant to do more than tolerate each other. They were civil for Kabal and Kevin's sakes, understanding that their plight was too important to waste time and energy on arguing. After hearing the whole explanation about Nell, however, Stryker found himself feeling less hostile toward the redhead. He knew Nell well enough to believe Kira's story, and understood her shifting opinion of Kira.

Kira was honest in expressing regret and sympathy. He had accompanied Kabal in tracking her down and watched their reunion, how she'd looked close to tears when she saw for herself the damage Kintaro had wrought upon his face and body, how she'd tenderly touched his face once granted permission, how she'd instantly agreed to help them when he explained the situation. Then there was her talking about her own past and her conflicting emotions over the years and now the way she spoke of Nell, with respect and empathy.

According to Kira, she escorted Nell to a police station the next morning following their escape and never saw her again. Sonya decided to search for information on Nell and promised to let Kevin know as soon as she found anything. Of course, the was second in importance to war preparations and security details, thus it would be awhile before she was able to fulfill her promise.

Kevin suddenly reached for the nightstand where a tiny black bag was. From the bag he retrieved Nell's wedding band. Stryker poked Kira's arm and pointed in Kevin's direction. She twisted in her seat, eyes widening at the sight of the ring.

She swallowed thickly."That belonged to Nell." Kevin nodded.

"Kabal gave you that, didn't he?" Stryker asked rhetorically."So he'd have a reason to come back."

"Hmm. Definitely sounds like Kabal." Kira remarked, smiling faintly."I took care of that ring for nearly twenty years; now it's your turn." Kevin reached for her, and she extended her hand, which he squeezed within his own. She squeezed back.

"Try to get some rest." She said as she slipped her hand from his grasp and rose.

Stryker pulled the covers over the boy and patted his shoulder."Let us know if you need anything." He told him on their way out. Kevin waved at them.

Kira waited until they were out of earshot and halfway down the hall to speak."What, no accusation of deception or twisting of the truth?" Her tone was light, though he could tell she was half-serious in her question. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, gaze glued to her feet and very faint smile still present.

"No point in doing that if I believe you." Stryker replied. Kira stopped and whipped her head to face him, eyes widening a tiny bit, then returning to normal as she nodded curtly."Good to know." Her tone settled into its usual stoicalness. They resumed walking.

He raised an eyebrow."I didn't peg you as somebody who cares about others' approval, especially mine."

"I'm not." She was quick to respond."But in this case, I made an exception." Fair enough, he thought, Nell's plight wasn't a topic that should be made light of and the way it had affected Kira would naturally bring feelings of obligations to be honest when recalling it aloud. The look in her eyes whilst she told the story convinced Stryker that everything was accurate; not even the best actors in the world could feign that kind of guilt, trauma, and regret.

"Not going to ask if I'm okay? Most people would." It was clear she did want or expect him to do that, but the reason for her asking why he wasn't was a mystery.

He scoffed."That'd be a stupid question and you know it." Then he added,"And I doubt you'd want to answer."

"It's ironic." She said a moment of silence."Whenever someone else mentions the past, I try to change the subject or end the conversation and explain that I don't like dwelling in the past because of the bad memories it brings up. Yet here I am, wanting nothing more than to talk about it. Rather hypocritical of me, no?"

He looked to the ceiling."We're all hypocrites. Some more than others, some less than others. And there's a difference between not wanting to dwell in the past and not wanting to remember the past. I can empathize with you on that, at least. The things you did for the Black Dragon and what you were reluctant to do for Nell at first, all that talk about the greatest evil being a person who sees evil and does nothing about it, I've got plenty of guilt for that. Even if I was under Quan Chi's spell, I still enjoyed the horrible things I did for him and Shinnok, and not only did I let innocent people suffer and die, I participated in their suffering, even laughed and mocked them as they screamed in pain and begged for mercy."

"I did that too. I had **fun** torturing my slavers and parents to death. I didn't feel the same when I victimized innocents as a Black Dragon, but I still laughed and mocked them."

"Did you mean it?"

"No. I just saw how my teammates reacted to it and figured that if I copied them, I'd eventually start meaning it."

"But you didn't. So yeah, you've done some screwed much shit in your life, but so have the rest of us. I don't blame you for wishing to forget it, but that's not the way life works. We can only forgive, never forget. We can't get the forgiveness of the people we victimized, but we can forgive ourselves and strive to do as much good as possible until we die. It won't erase the bad we've done, nothing will, but it's a worthy cause and I think that's what someone seeking redemption needs more than anything else. Look, what I'm trying to say is if we forget our crimes, what's the point in trying to redeem ourselves? We feel guilty for our misdeeds and if we plan to atone for them, or at least try to, we have to remember them. Simple as that."

"Heh." There was no humor in Kira's snigger."I've always thought I didn't deserve forgiveness or redemption, and I don't doubt you sometimes feel that way about yourself. Still, you're not wrong. I've spent nearly two decades in self-loathing, running and hiding from my past. It's time for me to stop running and hiding and start doing some good, and I know exactly how to start." A weight seemed to have been lifted from her shoulders, and she looked around with a more genuine smile now decorating her lips."Do you know where General Blade is?"

"She was on her way to a meeting last I saw her, and you know how long those meetings last."

"Ah, I see." She sighed, then shrugged."I'll wait until she's done then." She gave him a nod that he returned and started to walk away from him.

It was at that moment that an explosion shook the building. Kira fell to her knees with a yelp and Stryker slammed his hand into the wall to maintain his footing. He and Kira looked at each other, eyes wide as saucers and their faces paling as a screech pierced the air and realization sunk in.

They were under attack.

* * *

 _I originally wanted to do a double update, but decided to post this chapter by itself and post the next two chapters together._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _copymith - Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter then. Sorry if this seemed too short. Stryker's first chapter was pretty long and I didn't have much planned for this chapter so I was satisfied with ending it like this._

 _GNTR96 - I could never forget about my readers, even if it takes me awhile to update sometimes :)_

 _Next up: Chapter 84:Erron Black II_


	85. Chapter 84:Erron Black II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

* * *

"I wandered the earth a mercenary, daring the gods to kill me but surviving because part of me was already dead."  
— Barry Eisler (A Clean Kill in Tokyo (John Rain, #1))

 **Chapter 84:Erron Black II**

* * *

Concern.

It was not an emotion Erron Black was accustomed to feeling. Yet it was the sole emotion he experienced whenever he stood at Li Mei's bedside or thought of the woman. When she was awake, she ate little and refused to speak. When she wasn't eating or sleeping, she sat on her cot, hugging her knees to her chest and looking to the side. Not once did she speak unless experiencing a nightmare. And that bothered him so damn much.

Damn these emotions. As if loyalty to Kotal Kahn hadn't sufficiently vexed him at first, he now struggled to comprehend worry for the person who'd personally trained him. He'd initially rolled his eyes and flirted when they met, and regretted that when she knocked him down with a single kick before scolding him for letting his guard down. It wasn't that he was a weak fighter; far from it, she assured, his dependance on weaponry was the issue. Hand-to-hand kombat was equally important to using weapons in a fight. He eventually admitted that she and Bo' Rai Cho were correct, and focused on using his body and mind as a weapon instead of just his guns and blade.

Watching someone who'd been so strong become so broken was painful. Knowing there was nothing anybody could do to help that person was worse. All consolation, be it verbal or physical, as well as attempts to talk some sense into her, were futile. She'd built walls around herself to deflect the sympathy and truth others offered her. Revenge was her single reason for living now, and once that was accomplished, would she lose the will to live entirely?

He shuddered at the thought. No. He wouldn't let her die. They'd lost enough good people to Raiden. She required a reason to live, and they had to keep trying to knock some sense into her until she found one besides revenge.

Worse yet, what if she didn't even care for revenge anymore? She'd been so willing to let Hotaru finish her after losing their fight, encouraging him through tears to deliver the killing blow. She had failed to protect her people and then failed to avenge them. Had she reached her breaking point? No, he assured himself, if she was suicidal she wouldn't be eating. Granted, it was in small portions, but enough to avoid starvation. She hadn't harmed herself or mentioned suicide either. Even if it would be an invasion of her privacy to say the least, they wouldn't have hesitated to let the telepaths read her mind, but her status as an Outworlder made that impossible. No one could say for sure was on her mind and so she was almost never left alone. Even though Bo' Rai Cho and Kotal switched with Erron sometimes, the cowboy spent the most time with Li Mei.

His constant visits did not go unnoticed, but given the fact that his concern for her was shared by his allies, no one commented. They never asked how she was doing, because the answer was obvious: her body was well, and her mental state remained difficult to figure out. At the moment, he was in Li Mei's infirmary room, having gone to visit her during Rain and Tremor's match. The tournament should be his main concern, especially since his name hadn't been called yet, so why he overwhelmed with concern for this woman? What had she done in such a short time to occupy his thoughts and bring uneasy feelings to his heart? He had developed a camaraderie with Kotal, Reptile, Ermac, and Ferra/Torr since Raiden's chaos began, but this felt different and the fact that he had no clue why increased his vexation.

He had grown to appreciate her training sessions as the days leading to the tournament passed and respectfully ceased his flirting. She'd seemed surprised by this, but did not mention it. Then her village had been destroyed, and for some reason, he'd felt compelled to offer what little consolation he could. As she isolated herself and focused on killing the man responsible for her grief, his worry was born. When she jumped into the stage and demanded to fight Hotaru, he wanted to knock her out and carry her as far from there as possible. He also would've liked to drag her kicking and screaming, but she would have easily knocked him onto his ass if he tried that.

Stubborn, stupid woman, he thought in fond exasperation. He hadn't thought twice before drawing his gun to save her life as Hotaru prepared to finish her off. Seeing her just give up on life and ask to be killed angered him, not because he thought her weak, but because of that nagging worry that had exploded at that moment and taken control of him. Protectiveness, he realized, was what he had felt as he intervened. The idea of her dying **frightened** him. But why? This was war and though everybody agreed that she couldn't throw her life away, she would, like the others, risk it in the larger conflict to come, yet that knowledge made him afraid for her and not the dutiful kind of fear that came from serving as an imperial bodyguard. This fear was different.

He shook his head. Life had been simpler when all he cared about was money and not other people. Yet despite the frustration these feelings of care induced in him, he found himself not wanting to revert to his old personality.

Li Mei stirred, breaking his rumination. Her broken nose and cut cheek were bandaged, and her hair was free from its ponytail. With a groan, she slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. After blinking thrice, she noticed him, frowned, and looked away.

"I do not require a babysitter." Her voice was quiet and unemotional. It was the first time she'd spoken since the aftermath of her match with Hotaru."I can tell Kotal Kahn that if you don't want to."

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms."Nobody ordered me to babysit you and I've sure as hell got no interest in babysittin' anybody."

Her frown deepened."Then why are you here?"

"Because I want to be." He said bluntly yet truthfully.

She narrowed her eyes."I gathered that much. I meant why you want to be here." She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them."What do you have to gain from watching me wallow in self-pity?"

"We're worried about you." It felt odd to say that, to include himself in the list of people concerned for her wellbeing, even if it was true. He'd said that without the bluntness that filled his previous proclamation of wanting to be here."What you said to Hotaru after he beat you, about deservin' to die..." He trailed off. How do you tell someone they were on possible suicide watch?

Li Mei blinked, then gave a very faint, sad smile."I am not going to kill myself, Black. I do not feel suicidal, although I do not feel very lively either. I am not sure how I feel. I have been confused lately. I have no desire to live or die." She sniggered humorlessly."That makes no sense, I know."

Erron pushed off the wall and moved to sit in the chair near her cot. She released her knees and straightened her legs to swing them over the bed so she could sit facing him.

She rubbed her temples, sighing."I don't know why I'm talking to you." She placed her folded hands on her lap."I don't expect a mercenary to understand-"

"Neither do I, honestly." The only person more surprised by that statement than Li Mei was Erron himself. Li Mei gawked at him, then her expression softened and she twiddled her thumbs.

Erron straightened his back."Lemme ask you somethin'. You miss your people and feel guilty for failin' to protect 'em even though them dyin' wasn't your fault-" He lifted his hand to interrupt her as she opened her mouth to argue, and she acquiesced."Look, what I'm tryin' to ask is do you regret the memories you made with them, even if it's part of the reason you're in so much pain over their deaths?"

"Of course not!" She immediately exclaimed."I cherish those memories now more than ever and would not trade them for anything."

He snorted."Well, you're definitely a lot stronger than me then. Listen, I'm gonna tell you somethin' I've never told anybody else and don't ask why, 'cause I have no clue why I feel the need to confess to you either, just lemme say my piece, alright?" She nodded reluctantly."You know why my agin' process is slower than a normal Earthrealmer's, right?"

She was perplexed as to how this related to anything, but replied,"Shang Tsung offered to slow your aging process in exchange for you killing an Earthrealm warrior so he could absorb his soul. Said warrior's identity is unknown, as it was over 150 years ago, and you look the same as you did back then."

"Yeah, truth is I don't remember who that warrior is, but I do remember the reason I accepted Shang Tsung's offer. Got any idea what that might've been?" His voice was reduced to a whisper.

She shook her head."Based on your tone, I assume it was not greed, as many may prefer to believe." The perplexity on her face slowly faded, becoming horrified realization as her eyes widened."You said you don't remember the identity of your victim." She murmured, covering her mouth with her hand."Does that mean...?"

He shut his eyes."I've got zero memory of my past life, before that sorcerer cast his spell on me. What I do remember is that whatever the hell happened, it caused me so much pain that I wanted to forget everythin' about who I used to be. I don't remember my childhood, my parents, I'm not even sure if the name I go by is my real name. All I can say for certain is that I took the coward's way out and have lived like one ever since, focusin' on simple things like money and guns to avoid relivin' that pain. Recently, though, that's been gettin' difficult. The old me, the one who cared purely about gettin' paid, wouldn't have participated in this tournament for free, if at all, but I guess I've become loyal to the emperor and have let myself start carin' about people again." He ran a hand over his face, exhaling deeply."Look, what I'm tryin' to say is despite the hell you've suffered because of the attachment you had to your people, you're willin' to endure that hell and keep on rememberin' 'em. I wasn't, and I don't want you to end up like me. Or the alternative, for that matter."

"The alternative being suicide." Li Mei said quietly."Which is what you would have done if not for Shang Tsung's deal." She looked down, pondering what he'd just told her, and clearly no less shocked than he was by his decision to confide in her. Partially, he assumed it might wake her up from the depressive state she'd been in for several days, but he had also wanted to get this off his chest and she seemed to be the perfect candidate. And it looked as though she understood that, because when she raised her gaze, seriousness was written all over her facial features.

"I'm not going to kill myself." Her voice was a firm whisper, though her eyes were wet."That is all I can say with certainty."

He nodded."Fair enough."

She wiped her eyes."Thank you for sharing this with me. Some people might consider you selfish, but I...am grateful. It was a welcome respite from the pity from everyone else."

"They just wanna help, you know." He said a bit more harshly than intended."And you haven't exactly been lettin' anybody in lately. Look, Li Mei, nobody expects you to open up and get better right away, but bottlin' everythin' up makes the pain worse and you know that. Just...try not to forget that you've got people willin' to offer you a shoulder to cry, and don't hesitate to accept it when it's offered. It's probably more helpful than you think." He'd never been one to open up emotionally in the past, but his own choices hadn't been what he would call completely wise, and he'd rather not let another person repeat his mistakes if he could help it.

Li Mei didn't seem eager to listen to that suggestion, though she gave no protest. He did not expect reasoning with her to be an easy task, but so long as she wasn't harming herself, this was sufficient. She settled onto her side and turned her gaze to the window, shutting her eyes tightly and emitting a choked sob. The tears came shortly afterwards, and the sobs followed. Soon she was shaking and sobbing louder than ever before and to his surprise, she extended her hand to him.

Erron wasn't an expert in consoling the distressed, but he did not hesitate to take Li Mei's hand and hold it while she cried. And for Li Mei, that was enough.

"Black." She suddenly spoke in a raspy voice. Her eyes briefly opened."I am not alright, and I will not be alright for some time, but I will be, however long it may take." She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand until her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

It took him precisely five minutes to realize she had followed his advice.

* * *

 _So my initial plan for this chapter was to have Erron walk in on Li Mei trying to kill herself and give her a firm, angry talking to, but as I wrote this, I decided to take a different direction while still keeping some of the main ideas for this chapter. The last thing I want is to make Li Mei mentally recover from her ordeal too quickly; she's still suffering from a lot of guilt and trauma, but she's on the road to recovery and has left the anger stage of the five stages of grief. She's got a long way to go, but she's determined to get there and that was why I ultimately decided to end this chapter on a more hopeful note._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 85:Sonya Blade II_


	86. Chapter 85:Sonya Blade II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."  
— Sun Tzu (The Art of War)

 **Chapter 85:Sonya Blade II**

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Bold.

Of all the words most people used to describe Sonya Blade, it was universally agreed that this word was among the best. One could not afford to not be bold in her line of work. She'd experienced her fair share of warfare and thus easily understood that the necessity for boldness. It allowed someone to take risks, something she never shied away from doing.

Mokap was filled in by Johnny, and though he was understandably skeptical at first, he came around after being reminded of what he'd witnessed today. Mokap had had no idea of what was happening, nor had he contacted Johnny for years, yet Raiden saw the ex-motion capture artist as a threat. Further more proof Raiden was insane. Honestly, his crimes were becoming superfluous, as anyone with eyes could see how deranged he was.

On top of war preparations, she had a promise to keep about finding information on Kevin's mother. It didn't matter that her days were sufficiently busy; this was equally important to her other responsibilities and she always strived to get things done.

Sonya expected her allies' opinions on this matter to be less than enthusiastic. It could be argued that all plans suffered from this, yet her ideas stuck out for being particularly risky. Yet that did not dissuade her, because it was long past time for them to strike back.

Activating Triborg, desperation or not, was stupid. With the consciousnesses of four different warriors within its mind, it was unsurprising in hindsight that the robot went rogue. Sektor's character seemed to have the greatest if not sole influence on Triborg's personality, hence the contempt for organics.

Sareena and Kenshi were the only ones other than her who knew about the backup plan for Triborg. While they were trustworthy, she chose them because of their status as part time Special Forces agents, making them the least likely to be suspected of knowing something this important. Jax and Johnny would immediately protest the idea of reprogramming Triborg, so as much as she trusted them, they couldn't know. Even if that meant enduring Jax's lecture about carrying the data chip in her pocket, she was determined to see this through. The same applied to her current strategy.

All of that was why Sonya was determined to see this next plan of hers through. Even with the details she'd covered when discussing this with Fujin last night, the odds were not completely in their favor. Ironic, considering she thought of this with the intention of turning the odds in their favor. Everything hinged on their success now.

Those thoughts echoed in her mind as she, Johnny, and Fujin entered the war room. Fujin sat at the end of the table with Sonya at his right and Johnny at his left. At the other end of the table sat Kotal's regent Sheeva. Sindel, acting as Kitana's regent, was sitting to the Shokan queen's right. Darrius sat at Sheeva's left and Dairou stood behind him. Sub-Zero, who had refused to be left out, was in a wheelchair until his injuries healed enough for him to walk. It made sense, since Hanzo granted the Lin Kuei Grandmaster leadership over the Shirai Ryu in his absence. Khameleon was seated next to Darrius, looking odd without her brother nearby.

The first few meetings consisted of security details and safehouses. Today, however, strategy would be discussed. Their possible reactions to this strategy ranged from calling her insane, hesitant agreement, or division in opinion. Not that she was unused to those types of reactions; her reputation preceded her, after all.

Oh, and there was another trait she was known for besides boldness: her temper. While she wasn't a hothead, she had little patience for rubbish and a certain deity had been pushing the limits of that patience.

That was why she screamed at the top of her lungs in complete and utter fury when an explosion shook building and a screech pierced the air.

That fucking bastard was attacking them!

Sonya was sufficiently self-aware to know a vein was popping out of her forehead and that she was gripping the table tightly enough to whiten her knuckles.

Although her allies understood her reasons for screaming, doing so had alerted the attackers to their location and unsurprisingly, banging on the door occurred shortly afterwards. Sareena wheeled Sub-Zero to the back of the room with Sheeva following right behind them. Fujin raised his arm to teleport them out of here, but a flash of light occurred. A crackling sound came exactly one microsecond before the door was blown from its hinges and flew straight at the Wind God, knocking him out. Sindel knelt beside him, trying to rouse him.

Chuckling filled the room. Sonya moved in front of Fujin and Sindel with her gun pointed at their visitor. Raiden stood in the doorway, wearing the ugly grin his ex-allies had come to associate with him. As he stepped inside, thirty demons rushed into the room.

Sindel drew her Kwan Dao while Khameleon took out her Falchion. Darrius and Dairou stood back-to-back, the former donning his bladed gauntlets and the latter wielding his Autumn Dao. Though he wouldn't be of much use in this fight, Sub-Zero was more than ready to freeze the man who'd crippled his clan and zapped him into a coma. Sareena stood protectively in front of the Grandmaster, a pair of small knives in each hand and several others strapped to her legs.

Sonya could feel her hands shaking as she gripped the gun. This was the one who'd kidnapped and tortured her daughter for days, threatened the loved ones of herself and her allies, crippled the Lin Kuei, ordered the destruction of Li Mei's village, and whose plans would bring Armageddon if he succeeded. She was angry, so fucking angry, but she was afraid too. Raiden had made it clear he would not hesitate to make good on his threats and he was much more powerful than her. But most of all, he used to be her friend. She once trusted this monster and would have fought to the death to help him protect Earthrealm, and now she was fighting against him because he had been corrupted in the process of saving Earthrealm.

No, this beast was not Raiden. That benevolent, selfless hero had died purifying the Jinsei, and he who currently tormented her was someone else. He was an animal that needed to be exterminated, and she was willing to pay the necessary price to ensure his defeat.

"Somehow, this doesn't surprise me." Sonya said dryly, cocking her gun.

Raiden's grin widened."I shall have to learn some new tricks. One cannot forget the importance of the element of surprise in warfare." Clasping his hands behind his back, he inclined his head."You have my apologies for interrupting your meeting. I was not aware of my unfortunate timing." He snickered and shrugged."Or perhaps I was?"

Sonya scoffed."Your tricks were never new to begin with. You've been predictable from the start. Doesn't take a genius to figure out you'd pull this kind of stunt."

"Why are you trembling, Sonya Blade?" Raiden asked with false innocence."Are you afraid of me? Of what I will do to your precious daughter? Does it frighten you to accept the reality that you have no chance of defeating me and are only delaying the inevitable? I will win this war, you know that, and once I do, I am going torture Cassandra to death while forcing you and Johnny Cage to watch, and then I I shall let her corpse be used as a plaything by Kano and his thugs-"

"Shut up!" She screamed, shooting wildly at the deity. He had barely lifted his arm to teleport when half of the bullets struck his chest and he avoided the second half by teleporting afterwards.

The demons screeched at the sight of their leader being attacked and charged. Sonya tried to shoot the two demons running to her, cursing upon realizing she'd wasted all her bullets on Raiden. Sareena threw a knife into one of the demon's foreheads and Sub-Zero froze the other solid. Sonya tossed her gun aside and did a handstand to grab one demon with her feet and slam it headfirst into the floor, then cartwheeled with her foe still in her grip and flung the creature into the wall. She blew a flaming kiss at a demon charging at Johnny, and smiled as it was incinerated.

"Sonya, look out!" Johnny pointed behind her. She spun around to be greeted with Raiden's lightning. Her pained cries were muffled by Raiden's laughter. She heard Johnny shouting her name as the demons prevented him from reaching her.

Raiden's grin widened as he advanced on her. Sonya dropped to her knees, tears forming in her eyes due to the unbearable agony. Soon he was standing over her, and the strength to stay conscious was fading...

Suddenly, Raiden's head was grabbed and his assailant yanked him closer so his ear was near her mouth. Sindel emitted the loudest scream she could, and satisfaction filled Sonya to hear Raiden cry out before he was knocked into the wall with a blow to the chest from Sindel's Kwan Dao. The Edenian offered Sonya a hand up, ignoring the demon running towards her from behind which Sub-Zero froze solid.

The blonde's legs felt weak and her entire body shook, but she'd suffered worse. The only way she would die willingly was if she took Raiden with her.

Having recovered from Sindel's attack, Raiden prepared to shoot lighting at the two women, and yelped when a gust of wind lifted and then slammed him down. Fujin lowered his hand and got to his feet. The remaining demons forgot about the others and charged at Fujin. Frost and Sub-Zero froze three of them while Sareena threw knives into the skulls of two others. Dairou decapitated one demon and Darrius impaled another.

Fujin spun like a tornado, and what few demons still lived screeched as they were sucked toward the deity and then sent flying into the walls. Their necks snapped upon impact.

Raiden scowled."You do not learn, do you? The more you resist, the more determined I become to crush your pathetic resistance."

"Neither do you." Fujin's tone was icy, yet there was a hint of pity."The more you wound us, the more you target those we love, the more you taunt us, the more determined we become to end your madness. We shall defeat you, or die trying, but we shall never submit to you, just as we refused to submit to Shinnok and Shao Kahn before you!"

Raiden's eyebrows rose. Then he chuckled."Honor before reason then."

"You are hardly one to speak of honor or reason." Sheeva spat."Terrorism hardly qualifies for either of those categories."

Raiden smirked."Interesting choice of words, given the presence of a terrorist in this very room." He glanced at Darrius."Hotaru has told me much about you, Darrius. You have been quite the thorn in his side for a long time now. I intend to help him crush you."

Darrius gave an enigmatic smile."I prefer the term 'revolutionary', and it certainly fits me better than the title of protector fits you or Hotaru." The Thunder God's smirk vanished, and Sonya resisted the urge to laugh.

"Hotaru was correct about you." Raiden spoke through gritted teeth."You have spunk." Beneath his calm, collected visage, rage caused his body to shake and his fists to clench. He could explode any minute, a fact no one was unaware of.

"Sonya Blade." Fujin whispered from the corner of his mouth."I believe now would be a good time to fetch a certain piece of our plan." Sindel, who was standing between the deity and the human woman, looked from side to side in confusion.

Sonya nodded in agreement."I may not be the best person to send after him, though, and you're the only one powerful enough to handle Raiden, so..."

"That leaves you." Fujin told Sindel. Before she could ask what they meant, he quickly murmured an explanation into her ear. She nodded vigorously and started walking backwards. Fujin opened a portal which Sindel disappeared into.

"You will be dead by the time she returns with reinforcements." Raiden hissed. Next thing everyone knew, he was flying at Fujin and pushing his fellow god against the wall. Sonya picked up her empty gun and threw it, hitting Raiden in the back of the head. As he turned to her, his arm was slashed by Khameleon's blade and his chest was punched by Darrius, followed by both of them slashing his abdomen and Dairou firing a three-pronged star into his shoulder. Sonya somersaulted and launched herself at Raiden, pinning him down by planting her feet on his chest as she landed. She stomped on his face, hopped off him, and used the same foot to send him sliding across the floor with a kick to the crotch. Needless to say, his pained groaning was music to her ears.

Raiden started to sit up and shot lighting at her. Fujin appeared in front of her, tornadoes bursting from his palms to meet Raiden's lightning. Sonya shielded her eyes from the explosive bright light that resulted from their powers connecting. Fujin dropped to one knee, his breathing coming in gasps as a very smug Raiden advanced on him. Sareena threw a knife, but Raiden used one hand to blast it away afore shooting a lightning bolt at her. He would've blasted Sub-Zero if not for Khameleon spitting acid at him. He yelped as the acid landed on his shoulder, giving Fujin the time he needed to stand and use all of his strength to send Raiden through the wall and into the next room. Raiden was in the process of rising when Fujin flew at him, grabbing his neck and flying through the ceiling and the roof to continue their battle in the sky.

"The infirmary!" Sub-Zero cried, gripping his side."Frost, Cassandra Cage, Kevin...demons will surely be there."

Dairou paled."Viviana and Ferra are there with Torr as well."

A chill settled in Sonya's gut."Stryker and Kira should be there. They're tough, but outnumbered."

"I am surprised the Brotherhood of Shadows is attacking us." Sareena said."They are in charge of maintaining order in the Netherrealm. Establishing order within hell itself is not an easy task. For them to leave that place will make things more difficult for our foes."

Sonya snorted."Luckily for us, Raiden doesn't think these things through."

"Ironic for you to say that, Sonya Blade." Sub-Zero said dryly."Considering you activated an unstable cyborg." They were never going to let her hear the end of it, were they?

"We can argue later." Though she was addressing Sub-Zero, Sareena shared a knowing look with Sonya."Kuai Liang, you and Queen Sheeva are in no condition to fight."

"She's right." Johnny spoke up."Sareena and I will stay here with these two while the rest of you head to the infirmary and lead our defense against these guys. Fujin will keep Raiden busy until Sindel gets back." He directed his gaze to his ex-wife."Sonya, be careful."

Sonya smiled in spite of herself."You too, Johnny."

He grinned."I could get used to you calling me that-"

"Shut up." She said flatly, and wasted no time in running into the hall with Darrius, Dairou, and Khameleon. Darrius and Khameleon went to organize their forces while Dairou accompanied Sonya to the infirmary. Though she didn't need a gun to fight, Sonya regretted wasting her bullets on Raiden. It would've made taking down the demons delaying her from reaching Cassie quicker and easier. That, and she hated how she'd let Raiden get under her skin without difficulty.

Dairou abruptly fell flat on his back, causing a demon to fly into the air and leaving it vulnerable to Sonya's bicycle kick. After landing on her feet, she rushed to another demon with multiple punches and kicks to the chest, used her legs to grab its neck, and tossed the demon at Dairou, who swung his sword to decapitate it.

Clanging her wrists together, Sonya released pink ring-like projectiles that struck down three demons. She stepped aside so Dairou could slash the throat of the next demon, and shot another pink projectile into the skull of a demon attempting to kill him while he was distracted. She ducked beneath the spear of another demon, took out a garrote wire, pressed it to the demon's throat, and flipped over its head. She tugged, applying pressure until its head was removed. Dairou, who was watching her, thrust his Autumn Dao over the top of his shoulder to stab an incoming demon in the eye. He lifted his leg to lightly kick the demon's knee, and finally whirled around to stab it in the heart.

At last they reached their destination. Stryker and Kira were carrying Cassie and Kevin with Vera running alongside them to safety whilst three Raptors and ten Edenians covered them. On the other side of the room, Frost, whose broken right arm was still in a sling, shouted orders to Shirai Ryu warriors, both those aiding in getting the injured away from the fighting as well as those participating in the battle. More than a few demons were frozen solid by the female cryomancer. Torr ran as quickly as he could behind the Shirai Ryu, carrying Ferra and Viviana on his back. Mokap was also assisting in moving the wounded.

Sonya and Dairou exchanged a glance and shared a relieved sigh. They rushed through the crowd of their allies to follow the rescue workers. Sonya hurried to the window, watching the explosion of light and wind as Raiden and Fujin fought. They were evenly matched for the most part, though Raiden landed a few more hits than Fujin.

"Hurry, Sindel." She muttered.

"Look out!" Stryker yelled, returning her attention to the conflict occurring inside the building. Sonya turned to see a demon charging at her. The former cop shot the demon dead as it was inches away from Sonya. Afterwards, he took out a grenade."Everybody get down and behind cover!" Everyone obeyed and he hurled the grenade at their attackers; it landed amongst the crowd, exploding right as the demons began to shriek in dismay.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Kira asked in between pants.

"Didn't wanna risk blowing up the wounded while they were being moved." He answered.

Sonya looked to Cassie. The girl was sitting against the wall beside Kevin, guarded by some Shirai Ryu warriors. They were obviously shaken, but otherwise alright. She jogged to her daughter and knelt by her.

"I'm okay, mom." Cassie mumbled."Stryker and Kira were nearby when these assholes showed up."She looked around worriedly."Where's dad?"

"He's fine." She replied."And probably just as worried as you and I are."

Mokap groaned."First I get assaulted by a crazy god and now, hours later, demons attack the place I'm staying at." He threw his hands up."What's next? A fucking dragon shows up?" Sonya gave him a blank look, and he facepalmed."Oh for the love of..."

"I wouldn't worry about the dragon." She said, smiling faintly at Mokap's flabbergasted expression. No sooner had she finished that statement, than a roar came from outside. Everyone capable of moving on their own bolted to the windows to see the golden dragon Orin flying to Fujin's aid. While the others' eyes widened, Sonya smirked. Even from this distance Sonya could see Raiden's jaw drop.

Orin let out another roar before breathing fire on the demons below as well as the Thunder God, who screamed as he fell burning to the ground. He would recover soon, but his forces lacked that ability, and so he made his smartest decision yet: he decided to retreat.

Frost laughed despite the pain it would cause her ribs."Serves you right, bastard!"

Cheering filled not just the room, but the entire building and courtyard. Finally, after so many losses to the Thunder God, they had struck a blow to his forces and to his pride during his own assault.

Now it was time to enact Sonya's plan: conquer the Sky Temple.

* * *

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_ _And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 86:Skarlet II_


	87. Chapter 86:Skarlet II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself."  
— Harvey Fierstein

 **Chapter 86:Skarlet II**

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Freedom.

It was the first concept Skarlet learned after Shao Kahn's death, and the one she clung to the most. Her first taste of freedom came when she was released from her chains in the colosseum. She had been confused, wondering what the demise of her master meant in regards to her future. As she began to emotionally develop, the jealousy and entitlement emerged as the strongest emotions. All she could think about was the unfairness of Mileena, who had not killed and suffered for the emperor like Skarlet had for centuries, inheriting **everything**. And what did Skarlet get? Nothing. Shao Kahn only viewed her as a special tool to be used in certain circumstances, yet he doted on a clone he barely knew. Anger joined jealously and entitlement, as did a desire to take what was rightfully **hers**.

Reiko preyed on her emotions. He knew what she wanted, how she suffered, and what buttons to press. Whenever she doubted him, he used sweet words and promises he had zero intention of fulfilling to regain her trust, and she fell for it until the very end, when he laughed in her face and left her to die. How could she not see him for what he was, that he was fooling her with the same methods he employed in tricking Mileena? She cried for so long, broken by his treachery and by her own gullibility. A small comfort that he was not immune to manipulation either, as Havik's betrayal proved.

She thought she'd put the past behind her, that the memory of Reiko was just that: a bad memory. That belief died the second she saw him alive thanks to Shang Tsung. The confidence, independence, and self-respect she'd developed over the years were in danger of breaking every time the general was nearby. His words and touch, which once provided false assurance and consolation, now disgusted her.

During Rain and Tremor's match, she slipped away for solitude. It was the perfect opportunity; everyone was paying attention to the tournament so unless she was summoned for a match, she needn't worry about interruptions. She sat on the windowsill in her quarters, gazing out the window. Normally, she spent less time in her quarters than in another's, but...

 _He'll tire of you in his bed eventually._

Skarlet shook her head vehemently. Oh no, that was **not** the reason why! No matter how Reiko discomforted her, she would not act on his lies. She had earned Daegon's trust and respect despite being a former servant to Shao Kahn, whom he despised, not seduced her way into his good graces. And even if she were to consider that, it'd be a waste of time and energy.

 _You're a fool if you think he cares one wit for your wellbeing._

Her fists clenched. She was a part of the Red Dragon, and looked after her teammates just as they looked after her.

 _From what I've noticed, he's ignoring and refusing to speak to you. That, in my book, is a clear sign he's already tiring of you._

She had no rebuttal for that. Daegon had been distant lately, and she desperately sought Mavado's aid in the hopes that the demigod would listen to the closest follower he'd grieved greatly for. Recent events left her too unsettled to check if Mavado was making any progress, particularly Raiden's revelation yesterday. Daegon had hid the truth from them! Though he grew to trust her, she understood there were things he still preferred not to tell her, but to leave Mavado in the dark? Was his trust for them now nonexistent?

Maybe Reiko was right, maybe Daegon really-

"Don't tell me you believe his rubbish." Startled, she twisted around in her seat to see Mavado standing in the doorway. She was so unused to being in her own room that she forgot to close the door.

She sighed."Was I thinking aloud?" Maybe she'd picked up Goro's habit.

"No." Mavado grimaced."The look on your face indicated as much. And you just confirmed it for me." He entered the room and sat across from her on the windowsill.

"How did you know what Reiko said to me?" She asked. Now that she thought about it, she detected the presence of another person during the altercation, but was distracted by Reiko at the time.

"I wasn't eavesdropping." Mavado said, shrugging."Not at first, anyway. I happened to be passing by when I heard you telling him off. I would've intervened if you hadn't freed yourself from his grip and fled when you did. I **did** inform him of what would happen if he disrespected you again, however."

She looked down and touched her legs."You didn't have to do that." Not that she didn't appreciate it, especially considering they had not known each other long.

Mavado frowned."You know he's wrong." He whispered after a moment of silence."Lord Daegon may not say much, but his actions speak loudly enough. I'm sure you discovered his contempt for traitors, rapists, and servants of Shao Kahn, the last of which you and Goro both were. Goro gained his favor by capturing Kenshi, while you slowly but surely earned his trust and he earned your loyalty in return. And you are the only one who doesn't call him by his title or rank with his permission."

"You're allowed to call him that too." She reminded him."I have no idea why you refuse to. Goro also doesn't address him formally."

He frowned."Goro isn't a true member. As for me, it wouldn't feel right to address the grandmaster informally. I'm close to him, yes, but your relationship with him is more...intimate." He turned back to her with a smile."In more ways than one." He held up his hands when she raised an eyebrow at him."I'm not judging. From what I've heard from the others, you helped him when I was unable to, being dead and all." He gave a wry chuckle.

"He missed you." Her voice was scarcely above a whisper."He isn't the type to fall over and sob at the top of his lungs, but it was obvious to everyone, including those of us who didn't know him very well. He drank, sometimes just a glass or two, sometimes to the point of getting a hangover. Everyone knew better than to bother him, though Elder Gods know they offered what little consolation they could. And I, wanting to get on his good side to gain an advantage over Goro, decided to directly confront him. I thought I could employ the same seductive charms and manipulation techniques my enemies used since he was tipsy that night, and I saw the perfect chance to take advantage of him for my own purpose, but then he started talking, not rambling but describing in detail his..." She paused."I'd heard of his past, but not the full story. I realized then that he understood how it felt to be ignored in favor of someone else, for your efforts to go unappreciated whilst another received praise almost effortlessly. I know that was likely just a small part of the reason he recruited me, if it was part of his reasons at all, but it was enough for me to want genuinely earn his trust." She fell silent, wrapping her arms around herself.

Mavado glanced at the ceiling."Then you know that's easier said than done, especially with the increase in caution after Kenshi's betrayal." His smile widened."But you did it anyway. That's all the proof you need to dismiss Reiko's rubbish."

Skarlet opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. What Mavado was true, so why had she let Reiko plant therself doubts into her head again? Was there a chance that the girl he'd abandoned on the beach of this island remained, despite her efforts to outgrow him?

"That being said," Mavado's tone darkened as he leaned forward slightly,", don't make us regret trusting you, because if that should happen, you'd better hope Lord Daegon gets to you before I do."

Skarlet narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and lifted her chin."Dont think that can't be said vice versa."

The dark-haired man studied her for a minute before he gave a nod of approval and leaned back. Skarlet also relaxed.

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat brought their attention to the door, though they already knew who it was. Daegon was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and eye shut. He'd obviously heard most if not all of their conversation.

"How long-" Mavado began, stopping when Daegon's eye opened.

"Long enough." The demigod spoke bluntly. He sighed."All of you, **especially** you two, are incredible pains in the neck..." Then, a faint smile unexpectedly graced his facial features."And I would not trade you for anything." His voice dropped to a murmur, and his stern gaze focused on Skarlet as he added," **Never** let **anyone** tell you otherwise." Within that sentence was an order and assurance that caused whatever doubts Skarlet may have still possessed to vanish.

The moment ended when Daegon's face settled back into seriousness, and he switched his gaze to Mavado."It is your turn to fight." His eye narrowed, and when he spoke his voice was emotionless."Your opponent is Kenshi." Mavado looked surprised for precisely one second afore his expression changed to match Daegon's.

The demigod's tone hardened."You know what to do." He gestured for his right-hand man to go. Mavado immediately obeyed.

Skarlet waited for Mavado to exit before making her way out. As she was passing Daegon, he reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. He hadn't grabbed her, merely touched her and if she wanted to she could have shrugged him off and kept walking, but she stopped and turned to him. He was staring at her, as if reconsidering his decision, yet that hesitation disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and he squeezed her shoulder. She tentatively rested her hand atop his and met his gaze. After a few moments, he slipped his hand free from her grasp and motioned for her to pass him.

In that moment, Skarlet became certain of one thing: Reiko would never get the better of her again.

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 87:Rain III_


	88. Chapter 87:Rain III

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"It's easy and natural to be thankful when your expectations are met. The real test of your faith is when things don't go your way, or when you are in pain."  
— Maddy Malhotra (How to Build Self-Esteem and Be Confident: Overcome Fears, Break Habits, Be Successful and Happy)

 **Chapter 87:Rain III**

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Gratitude.

The first time Rain learned the concept of gratitude was when his adoptive father taught him about it when he was a child, still innocent and naive, unaware of his true parentage. His mother wasn't there to teach him, childbirth having left her so weak and ill that she died days after her son was born despite the doctors' best efforts. His adoptive father told him that in her dying breaths, she'd placed the infant into his arms and made him promise to take care of him. Rain did not realize the real importance of that promise until Raiden informed him that his entire life had been a lie.

Rain was not angry at his mother, nor the man who raised him. He was angry **for** them. What must it have been like for her to be impregnated by the Protector of Edenia, who was said to be benevolent and kind, then abandoned with his unwanted child. Had Argus seduced her with lies, forced himself upon her, tricked her into sleeping with him? And how did his adoptive father handle this? As a boy, he refrained from mentioning his mother to avoid saddening him with memories of his dead wife.

For years, the only mortal aware of the identity of the child's father was the man who would raise him after his mother died. They had been childhood friends, and he'd offered to marry her so the child could have a father and both hers and her child's reputation were not soiled by the circumstances of its conception. No one suspected a thing, for Rain took after his mother, or so they said. Having never seen her face, not even in portraits, he wouldn't know. All he had to go by were the words of others.

Never could the hydromancer forget the day Shao Kahn invaded Edenia. What he remembered most from the perspective of his childhood self was the screaming and fires as buildings were burned down and people were either killed or captured. His adoptive father was shouting orders to Ruby's father, his fellow general, to protect King Jerrod whilst carrying Rain over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He'd practically thrown the boy into the arms of a stranger. Rain struggled to get out of that person's grip, tearfully begging his adoptive father not to leave him. He had possessed no other family besides this man who, unbeknownst to him at the time, loved and raised the son of another without hesitation or regret.

His adoptive father wiped away his tears and kissed his forehead, telling him he loved for the final time, and apologized. The meaning of that apology remained unclear to Rain for years. Now that he knew the entire story, he wanted to tell him there was nothing to apologize for, that he would have preferred staying ignorant, and that more than anything, he was grateful.

Well, he mused with no small amount of sarcasm, he certainly expressed his gratitude in odd ways. By selling out his own people, who'd cared for and trained him, to the monster responsible for the death of his sole relative, because they'd refused to make him their leader. Even now he couldn't help but grouse being denied what he felt was his right, and that belief had brought him straight to Shao Kahn, offering to aid him in crushing the Edenian Resistance in exchange for leadership of his own army. Shao Kahn noticed how Rain ogled his stepdaughter and, just to ensure that he needn't worry about Rain changing his mind, offered to let Rain marry Kitana. Delighted to hear that he would get his army and a beautiful bride, he happily sold out his people.

Once Rain fulfilled his end of the bargain, Shao Kahn created excuse after excuse for the delay in fulfillment of his own promise; it didn't take Rain long to realize the reality of the situation: he was a traitor, with nothing to show for it except a reputation of contempt and distrust, no better than Tanya, who never missed the opportunity to remind him of that. He was stuck in the emperor's service, with zero allies and nowhere else to go.

Kitana was the only one who treated him with respect and kindness. The more time he spent with her, the more his feelings evolved from mere lust to to the romantic kind. He tried to be subtle, but as recent events revealed, he wasn't as good at concealing his feelings as he thought. Nevertheless, he meant what he said about accepting her relationship with Liu Kang, even if that was easier said than done. What he felt for her would not fade, but he wouldn't act on his feelings. Didn't mean he wouldn't allow himself to wallow in self-pity every now and then, of course.

The demigod glared up at the ceiling as he recalled the day he learned from Raiden that everything he believed about himself, about his father, was a lie. As if his status as the son of a general not being sufficient to grant him command of his own army wasn't infuriating enough, the revelation that he was the unwanted, unloved son of Argus made his blood boil. How dare that bastard cast him aside and declare him a mistake to be ignored and forgotten? How much easier could his life have been if Argus hadn't neglected his parental duties?

Those were the questions that plagued Rain's mind until he met Daegon, circumstances forcing them to work together. Daegon required aid in getting Quan Chi off his back after terminating his alliance with the sorcerer in the aftermath of the Blood Code. Quan Chi enlisted the Black Dragon Clan and given the Red Dragon Clan's weakened state that was further damaged by Special Forces' attack on their base to rescue Kenshi, Daegon was in no position to solve the problem sans help. It just so happened that the recently reformed Edenian Resistance was in need of Kano's service in order to enact their plan to betray Mileena. Mileena, Tanya, and the Tarkatans were in hiding while Rain and Ruby took care of things. Several of Rain's men, disguised as Red Dragon soldiers, assisted in attacking Quan Chi's forces and Daegon himself personally made it clear to the necromancer what the price would be for threatening his clan again. It was rare for Quan Chi to learn his lesson about crossing someone, but that occassion was an exception. He sold Kano out, allowing Rain to pretend to come to the mercenary group's rescue and offer to let Kano repay him by joining Mileena, and though his orders directly came from the clone, Rain pulled the strings.

The two demigods met in secret days later, acknowledging one another's skills in deception and leadership. Though they came to enjoy their truce, they didn't hesitate to end it once both men fulfilled their ends of the bargain. This pleased Rain, as the memory of Shao Kahn's lies still stung. Before they ended their truce with the agreement that the next time they met they would be enemies, Rain asked Daegon what Argus was like as a father. Hearing that even one of the legitimate sons did not have a perfect life didn't provide him with consolation, yet he appreciated Daegon's honesty. They shook hands and parted ways.

Sighing, Rain ran his hand down his face. He lay there on an infirmary bed, his broken leg resting atop a cushion for elevation. Bruises marred the skin of his facial features and back. He was lucky not to have suffered from a broken spine too. His half-divine status healed his injuries quicker than normal mortals, but it would be awhile before he recovered nonetheless.

"Whatever the ceiling did to offend you, I am certain it was not intentional." His eyes darted to the doorway to see Taven and Jade/Delia entering the room, the latter's glowing green eyes indicating the sorceress was in control. She, he realized with discomfort, had made that comment.

"Hmph." He grunted before returning his gaze to the ceiling as they entered. Uninvited, he might add.

If Taven defending him from the Elder Gods was surprising, Taven saving his life flabbergasted him. Why was he going out of his way to protect him? Was he trying to atone for insulting Rain's mother and not seemingly providing a satisfactory apology? Did he feel self-blame for the path Daegon took and imagine Rain as his second chance at brotherhood, at preventing another sibling from becoming his enemy?

"You saved me." He spoke through gritted teeth. One eye glared at Taven and the other at Delia, whose back was facing him as she mixed some mind of concoction to partially relieve her stepson's pain even though that he hadn't asked her to.

Taven held up his hands."Let me guess." He said dryly."Unexpected, unwanted, and unnecessary, but not unappreciated, again?"

"An interesting way to express gratitude." Delia remarked over her shoulder.

"There is no gratitude for me to express." Rain replied, cold as ice. Taven froze. Delia whipped around to look at him, nearly dropping the cup in her hand.

"I did not ask you to protect me." Rain addressed Delia, his gaze fixed on her and voice filled with contempt."I certainly did not ask you to pity me either." He would have spat at her if not for his mask.

Taven was gawking at him, torn between indignation on his mother's part and shock. To her credit, Delia gave no reaction other than a blink. That made Rain even angrier; he wanted to upset her, to make her feel the pain his mother must have felt.

"I suppose that is understandable." She eventually spoke, her tone even as she placed the cup on the table and folded her hands in front of her."You are embarrassed that you needed to be rescued by-" Snarling, Rain blasted water at her, striking her in the chest. She gasped, more surprised than pained, as her back collided with the table and she grabbed the edge to steady herself.

Taven would have intervened right then and there if Delia hadn't telekinetically grabbed him and a chair near Rain's bed, bringing the chair to her left and depositing the demigod onto the chair. She patted him on the head and ordered him to stay put, which he reluctantly did. With that taken care of, she turned back to Rain

"You hate me for different reasons then." She whispered. Rain continued glaring at her in response. Sighing, she marched over to his bed and clasped her hands behind her back."May I ask what those reasons are, or may I guess?" She didn't wait for his response."I didn't learn your mother's name until Sindel told me. I know nothing about her relationship with Argus. I would not have known of his infidelity if he had not told me himself. He refused to elaborate and demanded that the matter be forgotten, taking every possible measure to ensure my questions remained unanswered to this day. I tried to convince him to accept you, but he wanted no ties with you, the reminder of his mistake, and well, the rest is history." She wrapped her arms around herself."Why he slept with your mother, I do not know, and I doubt I will ever find out."

Rain clenched his fist, determined to annihilate the sympathy he was inclined to feel for her. He wanted to despise her, to blame her for this, to upset her to the point of tears. He never previously wanted to hate someone this desperately, to find anything to make them seem deserving of that hatred. But Delia refused to play his game, and that increased his ire.

She smiled mirthlessly."I blame myself for many things." She murmured."If I had not hesitated years ago or even days earlier to stop Daegon, he would not be a problem. If I had been more thoughtful, I could have formed a better plan to prevent Armageddon instead of reaching a, thanks to recent events, futile compromise with Argus." Her voice returned to normal and her expression hardened."But I am not so consumed by grief and sympathy that to blame myself for the actions of another which I had no involvement in." She stepped closer and leaned down to make eye contact with him."I have no idea why Argus committed adultery and I harbor no ill will toward you nor your mother, may she rest in peace. Argus wronged both of you by rejecting and abandoning you. But he also wronged me. Mayhap his reasons were simple, mayhap there is more to the story, but ultimately, the fact that he wronged us remains, and I have not ever blamed myself for that. I did not deserve to be betrayed, as you and your mother did not deserved to be neglected, and I will **not** tolerate you attempting to evoke feelings of guilt within me that I have no reason to feel." She scowled."Did you assume that since he is dead, you could take out your anger on me?" His glare faltered at that, and she exhaled deeply afore moving away from him. She shook her head and crossed her arms."You always were a pitiful **boy**. And in this moment, it borders on **pathetic**." Rain assumed this was the end of the conversation. He was wrong. The green-clad woman's eyes closed, and opened to reveal Jade had taken control.

Jade chuckled humorlessly."Would you like to hear my opinion now? Although Argus has wronged you, it wouldn't have mattered even if he had done the right thing. Your crimes prior to the discovery of your true parentage are sufficient proof of that. You would have been even more entitled, petty, and selfish if Argus had raised you. You would have convinced yourself that Taven and Daegon received superior treatment due to your status as a bastard and stabbed your family in the back as a result. It's simply who you are. You betrayed our people," Jade was growling at this point,", to satiate your greed. I am no saint and have my fair share of misdeeds to atone for, but what separates me from people such as you and Tanya," She contemptuously spat her rival's name,", is that I am remorseful and seek atonement. And I know where my loyalties lie, whereas neither of you understands the definition of the term. You are filthy, self-serving, hypocritical cowards and this world would be better if you were dead." She sneered."Unfortunately, we need you alive to win this war, but if we didn't, I would have gladly finished you off myself with my bare hands." She grabbed his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh and making him groan in pain."Stay away from Kitana, stay away from Ruby, stay away from Taven, and most importantly, stay away from myself and Delia, or else a broken leg and death will be the least of your worries!" She screamed the last sentence at the top of her lungs.

Rain resisted the urge to sigh in relief when she released him and stormed out of the room. Taven glanced at him with no emotion before leaving.

Every curse Rain could remember spilled from his lips. Damn Delia, damn Jade, for insulting him, for pitying him, and most of all for being **correct** about him. They read him as if he were a book and through words alone managed to humiliate and enrage him more than Shao Kahn.

He glared at the ceiling again, hoping it would crack, explode, do **anything** to distract him from the fierce, burning rage in his veins. Was there a single thing he hadn't been denied in his whole life? He had been denied a mother, denied the attention and love of his true father, denied the truth about that father, denied the leadership position he spent years training and fighting to attain, denied the army and hand of the woman he sacrificed his own people and reputation to gain, and now he had been denied revenge for his suffering and losses.

Rain shut his eyes. As much as he wished to call Jade/Delia wrong, to make them suffer for their tirades against him, he could not ignore the truth, the truth that for all his strength, cleverness, and arrogance, he was ultimately a petulant, selfish child searching for someone to blame his problems on...

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _ZNDelta4 - I definitely agree with you about Mavado. I found him so interesting in the original timeline and was annoyed by what little attention he got in the new timeline._

 _Taja - I'm glad you enjoy reading her as much as I enjoy writing her :)_

 _CharlieFreak180 - Oh, I apologize. I was in a bit of a rush to post the next chapter so I forgot to respond to your reviews about Li Mei and Erron Black. You really like their interactions, don't you? :)_

 _GNTR96 - Rest assured, I have no intention of abandoning this fic._

 _Next up: Chapter 88:Kenshi II_


	89. Chapter 88:Kenshi II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"  
— Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See)

 **Chapter 88:Kenshi II**

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As soon as his opponent's name was spoken, Kenshi clenched his fist.

He expected Raiden would try to win back Daegon's favor by giving the Red Dragon leader what he wanted after lying to Skarlet. That was why he was more worried than surprised when Takeda was chosen to fight the demigod. What he hadn't expected was for Daegon to show mercy. Well, mercy was too kind a term, as it was obvious he spared him to prove a point to Raiden. Otherwise, Kenshi would be mourning and seeking to avenge another loved one. If Daegon still intended to prove a point, then Mavado would follow his example if ordered to. That man's loyalty was unquestionable. If Mavado was victorious, Kenshi's chances of survival were equal to his chances of death; it completely depended on what Daegon preferred.

Kenshi obviously didn't intend to lose, but he wasn't arrogant about his fighting skills anymore. Arrogance had cost him his sight and almost his life. He was confident, yes, but not arrogant. Especially when his opponent knew him as well as he knew them. He had fought alongside Mavado during his time undercover, both of them learning enough about the other know better than to underestimate one another. Brute force was neither man's style, and thanks to Daegon's magik and his own mental strength, using telepathy on Mavado was futile.

Takeda stood next to him with his left arm in a sling. The broken limb was the most severe of his injuries, fortunately. Daegon had been holding back, if he'd been trying at all. Kenshi knew that as soon as the fight started and was relieved by this; he didn't doubt Takeda was as strong and skilled as himself and Hanzo, and would grow to become even better than both of them combined, but Daegon was a demigod. Kenshi's main hope was his son's survival and since he had no way of knowing Daegon would spare the boy, he spent the entire match praying for victory to favor Takeda and ignored the voices of his ancestors from Sento stating the pointlessness of those prayers. They'd been ready to intervene a second time when the winner declared his refusal to obey Raiden's order.

He didn't bother telling his son how fortunate he was to be alive; they both knew and preferred not to discuss it.

The younger telepath turned to face his father. Sight and telepathy weren't necessary to inform Kenshi of the worry on his son's facial features and mind. Hanzo moved to stand beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Kenshi turned his head to the pair's direction, lips twisting into a faint smile, and rested his hand atop Takeda's head for a few seconds. Through that head pat, Kenshi acknowledged the worry his son felt and promised he would do his best to survive.

His own experience in Mortal Kombat was not as wide as those of Sonya, Johnny, and Jax. He'd entered the previous tournament to destroy Shang Tsung, and when the sorcerer discovered his identity, he did everything he could to avoid him. When Kenshi finally caught up with him, he set him up to fight Reiko, a battle which ended in a draw as neither warrior could overpower the other. Raiden had approached Kenshi afterwards to convince him to join the fight against Shao Kahn, but Kenshi was too focused on revenge. Then the bastard died at the hands of Shao Kahn, and by the time Kenshi changed his mind, Raiden already managed to stop the emperor. Kenshi didn't hesitate to join the Thunder God's forces in the war and aid them in rebuilding. Then Shinnok reemerged, and the rest was history...

His ancestors' voices, along with steady footsteps, informed him that Mavado was making his way to the arena.

Kenshi turned away from Takeda and walked to the arena where his opponent was waiting for him. As soon as he came to a stop, both men drew their weapons and adopted fighting stances. The swordsman could hear the voices of his ancestors and the tapping of Shang Tsung's fingers against the armrests of his throne, as well as Mavado's breathing, albeit barely. Mavado had fought alongside him **and** against him, so he was careful in his actions, knowing the smallest sound could give his foe an advantage. Yet Kenshi knew how to be careful around Mavado too. This would not be an easy battle for either kombatant.

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled. Neither kombatant needed to be told twice, charging the moment that word had left the mouths of the sorcerer and deity. Kenshi aimed for Mavado's neck at the same time that Mavado swung his hookswords upwards at Kenshi's chin. What he didn't expect was for Kenshi to abruptly thrust one hand forward, telekinetically pushing him back. Mavado regained his balance in time to block an attack from the swordsman and gathered as much strength as possible to throw him off balance before lifting his foot and delivering a powerful kick to the chest with the spiked bottom of his boot. With a grunt, Kenshi flew back a few feet and landed on his back.

Rapid footfalls, along with shouts of warning from his ancestors, alerted him that Mavado was running to him, and he rolled away seconds afore the hookswords would have impaled him. He swung Sento upwards to uppercut Mavado, then leapt to punch him twice while they were in the air. As he did this, Mavado slammed both of his hookswords onto Kenshi's head. Kenshi managed to hit opponent's his chin with the pommel of his sword. Both men landed on their feet with grunts.

No sooner had Kenshi landed, than he used telekinesis to grab Mavado and throw the man behind him. He did not expect Mavado to launch his grapple hook and take him with him. Kenshi landed hard on his knees, allowing Mavado to anchor himself with the grapple hook and fly forward to perform a kick to the chest.

Kenshi was on his back with Mavado's spiked boots pinning him down and hooksword raised overhead as he prepared to deliver the killing blow. One foot was lifted from his chest to kick him in the side of the head, dazing him enough to prevent him from using telekinesis, yet not enough to stop him from lifting a leg to knee Mavado in the back.

They rolled to their feet, and Kenshi sufficiently regained his senses to summon Sento into his hands and blocked an attack aimed for his neck. Too late he and his ancestors realized that only one hooksword had been used against him, so he was unsurprised to feel a fist connect with his stomach, followed by his throat being grabbed and him being slammed headfirst into the floor. Right before his head made contact with the floor, he telekinetically grasped Sento and slashed upwards at Mavado, who let him go and jumped back to dodge as the blade missed him by inches. Kenshi fought through the pain in his skull to repeat the attack, this time succeeding in slashing his foe's left arm.

When he tried to stab him, Mavado ducked and ran toward him at full speed to tackle him. He caught Kenshi's wrists before he could think to use his powers again and headbutted him for extra measure.

Mavado was choking him now, applying just the right amount of pressure to ensure no telekinetic attack occurred without killing him.

His ancestors were screaming for him to get up, but it was difficult to focus during one's own strangulation and even more so when there were very loud, unusually unhelpful voices in his mind. On the brink of unconsciousness and with desperation tearing at his soul, he focused as hard as he could on summoning Sento while Mavado was distracted with choking him. Unconsciousness had begun to take effect when he felt the sword within his grasp and Mavado came to the same realization a second too late. The Red Dragon member let out a shout as Kenshi slashed his side, and he rolled off and away. He got onto one knee, hissing in pain as he clutched his bleeding side and also glanced at the wound on his arm.

Coughing and rubbing his throat whilst trying to get his breathing back under control, Kenshi formed a fist and thrust it forward. Mavado lost his balance and landed on his injured side with a pained growl. Kenshi tossed Sento into the air and telekinetically guided it with full speed toward his opponent. Mavado moved aside, saving himself from getting impaled, but not from receiving a gash on his back. He scrambled to his feet and hurried to retrieve his weapon. Kenshi telekinetically lifted Sento and continued slashing at Mavado, who somehow succeeded in dodging every attempted strike.

He snatched his hookswords from the floor, sheathing one of them in order to draw his grapple hook which he launched to wrap around Kenshi's ankles and then tugged. With a yell, Kenshi put out his arms to break his fall. Mavado catapulted himself with his ropes at Kenshi and smirked as his spiked boots impaled each of his shoulders. Kenshi telekinetically shoved him up and away, shouting in surprise when the grapple hook was launched to wrap around his ankles again and he flew away with his opponent.

Crashing into the ground, Kenshi rolled until he reached the edge of the arena. His breath quickened at how close he'd come to falling off, and he heard Mavado land and then rise prior to charging at him. He rolled a decent distance from the edge of the stage and summoned Sento into his hands, using it to block the hookswords. Gathering all the energy he could muster, he shoved Mavado away and began swinging at him with his sword. Mavado cursed under his breath, frustrated by the fact that he was too occupied with dodging and blocking Kenshi's attacks to deliver any of his own.

Eventually, Mavado snuck in a strike, slicing Kenshi's arm and making the swordsman grunt in pain. Mavado then kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying as well as producing more small wounds from his spiked boots.

Kenshi managed to regain his footing, but before he could fully stand, the unmistakable feeling of lightning struck him, and he cried out. His cries did little to block out the sound of Raiden's laughter and the concerned and horrified shouts of his son and comrades. He also heard Mavado's surprised and...indignant, he daresay, exclamation of,"What?!" in response to the Thunder God's intervention.

When Raiden at last stopped, Kenshi dropped Sento and crumbled to his knees, his entire body in agony and his breaths coming in pants. Mavado carefully approached him, stepping back slightly for a minute when Raiden suddenly threw a lightning bolt at Kenshi for extra measure. The swordsman yelped as he fell onto his side, too weak from Raiden's assault to get back up.

Mavado approached him again, and though Kenshi couldn't see it, he glanced at Daegon, whose face betrayed the slightest hint of surprise and indignation before fading into an emotionless mask as he nodded. Returning the nod, Mavado turned back to his fallen opponent.

"Finish him." Raiden spoke, his pleased tone of voice providing all the necessary proof to confirm he was smiling.

Mavado raised an eyebrow, pondered the order for two seconds, scoffed, and responded in the most unemotional tone possible,"No."

One would think Raiden wouldn't be so shocked by that response, considering who'd previously given it, but his jaw dropped nonetheless.

"Say what you will about the Red Dragon Clan." Mavado said as he sheathed his hookswords."Not everything we do is honorable and we understand and agree with phrases such as 'the ends justify the means', but we do not tolerate betrayal. First you broke your promise to Skarlet, then attempted to make up for it by offering Takeda and now you offer Kenshi, only to betray us again by intervening in our fight. Traitor that he may be, Kenshi deserved a fair fight with me just as his son did when he fought Lord Daegon. I could have defeated him, but you denied me a fair victory and Kenshi a fair defeat. Therefore, I will not kill him." He smiled faintly and added,"Not that I intended to kill him even if I had won this fight fair and square." His speech finished, he turned around and walked away.

Kenshi didn't require sight to know Raiden was fuming.

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Reptile, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Ruby, Bo' Rai Cho, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _Hello, my lovely readers! Thanks again for your usual patience in awaiting my next update, especially those of you who have been reading this story since I posted the prologue just over two years ago. Time really does go by fast and I just want to thank everyone, be they new or old fans of this story, for your loyalty and patience. I would've have gotten this far if not for you guys and I truly wish could express my gratitude in more than just words. You guys are the best!_

 _Happy holidays to you all!_

 _Schoolwork has kept me busy lately. I currently have two 10 page_ _papers, one due in January and the other due in February so as you can imagine I'm focused on that, but I write whenever I can. I'll never abandon my loyal readers! This, I swear!_

 _Once again, writing Kenshi is hard due to needing to properly describe things from his perspective with his blindness while still allowing the reader to visual everything. Sorry if the the fight scene felt a bit lacking and if this chapter felt too short. I really did try my best, but like I said, it's hard with Kenshi's POV and I really wanted to get this one out._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _Guest - Thanks for pointing out the mistake._

 _GNTR96 - I'm female, though you're not the first to make that mistake. Second, while I appreciate your enthusiasm for this story, please refrain from expressing unhappiness with me not updating for awhile because I do have good reasons for doing so, like the one I gave above. It comes across as rushing which bothers me a lot._

 _CharlieFreak180 - That is the last thing on their minds given their current situations, if it's not their minds at all. These things take time. Still, I appreciate your enthusiasm._

 _Next up: Chapter 89:Johnny Cage II_


	90. Chapter 89:Johnny Cage II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him - or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them."  
— Dorothy L. Sayers (Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey, #12))

 **Chapter 89:Johnny Cage II**

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They'd had worse days.

In recent days and weeks, Johnny Cage had experienced his fair share of trauma. From his capture and near-death experience at Shinnok's hands, being betrayed by Raiden, his daughter's kidnapping and torture by Raiden and Kano, to the Thunder God's declaration of war and attempt on Mokap's life. Ergo, he did not consider the events of today to be as traumatizing as the previous ones. If anything, he was pleased with what had occurred, seeing as it ended in their favor. To see Raiden so embarrassed and angry after getting outsmarted by those he considered inferior to himself brought satisfaction to everyone he had wronged, especially the Cage family.

Adding to the positives, there were no casualties. Some injuries, but nothing too serious since Fujin took the brunt of Raiden's assault prior to Orin's arrival, and those already in the infirmary were decently protected from the demons during the attack.

He had checked on Cassie once it was safe, and shared her amusement at Raiden's defeat. Sonya silently watched her daughter and ex-husband converse, her face tired but glad. She deserved the satisfaction of striking a blow against the Thunder God after all the torment he'd put them through.

Once everything had completely calmed down and everyone went about their business in peace, the leaders met up again to discuss Sonya's plan: conquer the Sky Temple. The disagreement some of them expressed wasn't as strong as it might have been if she revealed it prior to the attack on the palace, and after a few hours, they all agreed to the plan and decided to tell the others about it in the morning. The attack itself would happen in three days if preparations went smoothly.

Every detail was established. Shirai Ryu and Seidan rebel spies confirmed that half of the Seidan army, the Black Dragon Clan, and a small amount of Tarkatans guarded their target while the rest of enemy forces were in Seido (Darrius glared at anyone who dared call his home Orderrealm). That meant Seido was occupied by the second half of the Seidan army, most of the Tarkatans, the Red Dragon Clan, and the vampires. Sareena had gone to the Netherrealm to confirm that the Brotherhood of Shadows had their hands full in reestablishing order there and licking their burn wounds.

It was decided that the Shirai Ryu, a portion of Special Forces, and the tiny amount of soldiers that made up the Shokan army would stay behind to protect the palace. Darrius would lead his rebel army and the Edenian Resistance to instigate a riot more chaotic than any of its predecessors. This would provide the perfect distraction for Sonya, Fujin, and Khameleon to lead Special Forces and the Saurians on another assault on the Sky Temple. Orin did not hesitate to accept their request to accompany them in conquering the Sky Temple, but he requested that Caro be rescued.

Darrius' spies discovered the base of operations for Raiden and his allies, and no one disagreed with the suggestion of bringing another dragon into the war, as long as said dragon was on their side. Furthermore, the loss of Caro would greatly disadvantage the Red Dragon Clan. Therefore, Sonya added his rescue to the plan. That was why Sindel wasn't partipcating in the battles; she would accompany Kira and Dairou to free Caro. Sindel had gone to fetch Orin, so it felt appropriate for her to retrieve his counterpart, while Dairou had infiltrated Seidan buildings before for many of his jobs. Kira was also good at infiltration, so she would be going too.

Johnny was not participating in any of these operations. Like Sareena, his wounds were not as bad as Sheeva's and the Lin Kuei, but still too dangerous to send them into such an important battle. And even if that weren't the case, both he and Sonya were too worried about Cassie's safety to not leave at least one parent with her. Stryker, Shujinko, and Mokap were also staying behind.

Johnny sighed as he wandered the halls. As satisfying as Raiden's humiliating defeat had been, the stress of the larger conflict to come remained. The satisfaction of victory faded into very careful, tentative hope and determination. They couldn't afford to let themselves become arrogant like Raiden. They needed to balance carefulness with boldness, Sonya had stated, and was met with agreement.

She'd been doing well lately. She returned to a decent sleeping schedule after Cassie was rescued, even if most of that slumber happened in the infirmary beside their daughter, and her nightmares were gone. Neither Johnny nor Jax had to lecture her to eat or rest, as she understood the need to remain healthy if she was going to lead them to victory in the war. She was mostly back to her strict, business-focused, no-nonsense usual self, with the exception of the time she spent in the company of Cassie.

Cassie was trying her best to be positive as she recovered from her injuries alongside Kevin. Johnny wasn't oblivious to the increasing closeness between the pair, and smiled at the thought. As much as both of them denied it, it was clear that they cherished every moment they spent together, which given their current physical conditions and location, would have been 24/7 if they didn't sleep or receive visitors. The way they looked at each other when they thought no one noticed reminded him of a cheesy romantic comedy, though not a bad one.

"Heh, young love." He murmured, shaking his head as he continued walking.

Suddenly, he was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of voices nearby, and he came to a stop. Not far from where he stood was an half-open door. It took him a second to recognize whom the voices belonged to: Sonya and Fujin. As he approached the room, wondering what to say and leaning forward slightly to take a look inside before entering, he froze in his tracks. He'd been either walking quietly enough for them not to hear him, or whatever they were discussing kept them fully engrossed.

Fujin sat in seiza position, his entire body tense and his gaze glued to the floor. Sonya stood a few feet behind the deity, appearing to be equally solemn.

"Do not tell me it does not cross your mind, Sonya Blade." Fujin said without turning around. His tone was blunt and emotionless."It is a natural thing to think about, given the circumstances."

Sighing, Sonya crossed her arms."I worried sometimes that Raiden would become my enemy, but I always buried that worry and ignored it. I didn't want to believe the possibility of him becoming a monster...yet here we are. I trusted him and cared about him as much as you did. Maybe that's why I didn't see this coming, why I didn't **want** to see it coming..."

Fujin looked down at his hands which rested on his knees and clenched them into fists."It **haunts** me." He spat out through gritted teeth."The idea, the very real possibility that I may one day follow in Raiden's footsteps."

"You've known him longer than the rest of us." Sonya stated."It makes sense that you'd be the most effected by his-"

"You are skirting around the topic." His tone was blunt again, but certainly not emotionless. Silence was the sole response he received.

Fujin's body began to tremble, at first so slowly it was hardly noticeable, but as he spoke, the shaking gradually intensified alongside the emotion in his voice."We have fought together against the forces of darkness since before the days of Onaga. We trusted and respected one another. We are **brothers**. Yet we have always been polar opposites. I chose isolation, while he chose to interact with mortals, to view them as friends and family, and tried so many times to convince me to do the same. I refused. I did not understand why he embraced such fickle beings, why he subjected himself to the pain and trouble bonding with them, yet he persisted, and eventually he convinced me to meet some of his mortal comrades." He briefly paused in his shaking to smile."It was a few months before the previous tournament that I accompanied him on a visit to the Shaolin monks. I found myself enjoying the company of Bo' Rai Cho, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kai and even promising to return for another visit. I made it clear to Raiden that this was not a conversion, but he wouldn't stop smiling, and I..." He swallowed."Can you guess when my second visit was?"

"After the war with Shao Kahn." She muttered."That's how we met."

Fujin chuckled in spite of himself."I wonder whose contempt for whom was stronger upon the initial meeting; yours for me, or mine for Johnny Cage?" Sonya laughed halfheartedly at that.

Fujin shook his head."Those jokes he made about me 'breaking wind' and trying to 'blow him away' while I chased him with murder on my mind is something I will never forget."

Johnny grinned as he recalled the look of complete and utter fury on the Wind God's face when he got the punchline of the joke before he declared in all seriousness that he would kill him. He'd never been so amused and scared for his life at the same time prior to that day. Raiden had calmed his brother down and advised Johnny to be careful from then on, despite knowing that the actor wouldn't listen.

Sonya was not amused by their comedy act, and not at all impressed with Fujin. She'd spent ten minutes yelling at Fujin for not helping Earthrealm in the fight against Shao Kahn until Raiden forcibly changed the subject. Fujin avoided them after that. In fact, neither of them had directly interacted with the deity unless there was absolutely no other option, such as Shinnok's invasion several years ago and recent events concerning a certain Thunder God.

Sonya looked down."I was a bitch." She snorted."Still am."

"I am no saint either." Fujin said.

"Neither is Raiden right now." Too late Johnny realized that he hadn't meant to say that out loud, and both his ex-wife and Fujin whipped around to face him with wide eyes. Their expressions relaxed as they pondered his remark, understanding the amusement and darkness within it.

Silence filled the room for several minutes until Fujin broke it."I wonder if he still carries the amulet." The Wind God frowned up at the ceiling."Is it cracking now as it did many years ago?"

Sonya and Johnny exchanged a look before the latter said,"None of us except for him really believed in that thing. Until we saw it repair itself after the Elder Gods helped Raiden beat Shao Kahn, that is."

"I'll add that to the list of things I didn't want to believe." Sonya said, running a hand over her face."You'd think finding out that gods, demons, and dragons exist would've opened my mind to other seemimgly impossible things."

The trio exchanged looks as they thought about the amulet.

"If he does still carry the amulet, does he care about the cracks that may be forming as we speak?" Fujin voiced the question in all of their heads. He raised his fist and stared at it."That amulet is a gift and a curse, as are the hints to the future it provides." He began to shake again."Will that be me one day?" His voice was scarcely above a whisper."

Sonya stepped forward to place a hand on the deity's shoulder."Fujin." Her voice cracked just a bit, but was otherwise firm."I know that I'm not the best at this...this-"

"Consolation?" Fujin offered.

Sonya smiled sadly."Yeah, I suck at giving comfort even more than I suck at receiving it, as a certain someone knows better than anyone else." She glanced at Johnny afore returning her full attention to Fujin and her expression hardened."But I promise you that if you do become corrupted like Raiden, I'll stop you." The shaking ceased in response to her words."I promise I'll end you before you can go too far and cross the line like he has. I won't let you become the monster that Raiden has turned into." She squeezed his shoulder and swallowed thickly."So don't worry, because even if you do get corrupted, you won't become a monster. Not on my watch."

Fujin slowly rested his hand on top of hers."Thank you, Sonya Blade." The Wind God may not have known Sonya as well or for as long as Johnny and others did, but even he recognized and appreciated the closest thing to consolation that she could offer in this situation.

"She'll have plenty of help too." Johnny added, half-jokingly."We'd have already beaten one corrupted god so we'll have all the practice we need to do it again."

Fujin snorted."I have never been so grateful to hear someone promise to kill me under certain conditions. Or any conditions, for that matter." He brought his hand to his mouth to cover a smile."You should both go rest. I will be fine, and you will be the first to know if anything does happen to me."

Nodding, Sonya removed her hand from Fujin's shoulder."I'm gonna go check on Cassie." When she asked Johnny if he was coming with her, he said he'd meet her there, wanting to take a moment to think about what had happened just amongst the three of them in this room.

It was not until Sonya was out of earshot that Fujin spoke."She needs you, Johnny Cage." He looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with Johnny."As does your daughter. Now more than ever, and they will still need you after this war."

Johnny turned around, but said one last thing before he left."Well, then it's a good thing that I'll always be there for them."

"Indeed." He could hear the smile in Fujin's voice.

* * *

 _Sorry if this was too filler and/or too short. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _KingJCT7 - I'm glad you like him._

 _Copymith - That's one of his titles._

 _GNTR96 - Thank you very much for your support._

 _Guest - He really doesn't learn, does he? ;)_

 _Next up: Chapter 90:D'Vorah II_


	91. Chapter 90:D'Vorah II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"There is never a guarantee of survival, no matter your strength or skill or wit. There is only the day you are conceived and the day you die, and all else is a series of moments you either embrace or endure."  
— Rachel L. Schade (Forsaken Kingdom (Silent Kingdom, #2))

 **Chapter 90:D'Vorah II**

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Did anyone fear death anymore?

Lately, that question had been plaguing D'Vorah more than usual. She knew that most people preferred death, but it unsettled her to think about the actual amount of people with that opinion. Even Tanya, who claimed to be a survivor, had expressed that notion.

Why, though? Why was death the preferred option? She had no delusions about the trauma the revenants must have suffered, nor the hardships of slavery, having chosen the latter one herself. While she had managed to avoid the life in chains her people doomed themselves to by wasting time arguing before the emperor's invasion, she was still a slave. They deemed her a traitor and coward for bowing to Shao Kahn, yet who were they to judge? They who ran at the first sight of their conqueror while she alone approached him? Even if she had run, his soldiers would have hunted her down and put her in chains. If she was to be enslaved, let it be on her own terms.

It was not until she witnessed the power of Shinnok that she decided the key to survival was not servitude to others, but to oneself. So she plotted and deceived, patiently waiting for her time to rise, to crush others under her heel and have them kiss her feet, to listen to the fearful cries of those she conquered, to at last expel the fear of death that consumed her. No longer would she be the victim, no longer would she tremble in fear, no longer would she endure insults and beatings from her superiors. It would be her turn to inflict that punishment on them, to make them the helpless ones...the thought of how close she'd come to succeeding was intoxicating. If Shinnok had won, she could have enacted her plan to betray him and take power that she craved, that she deserved...

First Shao Kahn, then Mileena, and now Raiden. At least she had joined Kotal Kahn and Shinnok entirely of her own free will, even if her decision to join the latter was to fulfill her own agenda. Either she submitted to a tyrant or joined the cause of an arrogant, overrrated fool. Yet she still respected Kotal despite his faults and her fascination with Shinnok's power remained, neither of which applied to her opinion of Raiden. He frightened her, but that was it. The fear that he would make good on his threat to murder her if she betrayed him kept her by his side, and considering what he'd done to Cassandra Cage, the Lin Kuei, and Li Mei's village, it wasn't hard to dismiss the possibility of him bluffing.

 _The tyrant's shadow was home now._

Was this truly her destiny? To serve tyrant after tyrant? To be a glorified slave? To let fear guide her every action and decision? Would she ever leave the tyrant's shadow?

D'Vorah sighed as she walked to the arena for today's matches. Things had been difficult since the tournament began. She had tried to find information on Raiden's intentions for Nitara's people, but the subject seemed to be the last thing on his mind, if it was on his mind at all. She supposed that made sense, given recent events with the Red Dragon Clan. Apparently, Nitara understood that, because she didn't inquire about the topic. In fact, they hardly spoke at all lately, just exchanged glances that conveyed more than words ever would.

What she **did** know was that she would fight today. Knowing Raiden, he would pit her against one of her ex-allies. Would he break his promise to Goro to give him Kotal Kahn and take sadistic pleasure in having the emperor fight his betrayer? It didn't require a genius to guess how well that would turn out. Goro was not a loyal member of the Red Dragon Clan, but given the group's negativity toward Raiden after he lied to Skarlet and intervened in the fight between Kenshi and Mavado as well as Goro's obsession with honor, it would be unsurprising if he started to share that negativity if Raiden broke his word. Raiden was an idiot, but would he truly risk causing the defiance of another ally? He may not have her fight Kotal on the basis of sadism rather than reason, and instead arrange for her to battle one of her former fellow enforcers.

Sensing its mother's distress, the slug on her shoulder nuzzled her cheek and she patted its head. She'd been relying on comfort from her children more and more as of late. They were the only ones capable of making her smile, capable of distracting her from the darkness that surrounded every other moment of her existence.

Her pace slowed as she neared the arena. Her enthusiasm for this was nonexistent, but the knowledge that it was her turn to participate worsened her discontent. She was not looking forward to enduring that stare during the entire match, the taunting that would be directed at her and her opponent, how she would have to resist the urge to silence him out of fear of punishment...

Frowning, she stopped patting the slug on the head. Now even this small comfort was gone. She heaved another sigh, and returned the slug to its intial place inside her womb.

She was not surprised to see Nitara and Havik engaged in conversation. His usual grin was absent from his face, and he shifted repeatedly. He'd been spending a lot of time around them recently. She'd even noticed him frowning when he thought no one was looking. As much as Havik loved chaos, it was obvious he was as disturbed by Raiden and Hotaru's behavior as the rest of them.

Mileena had developed a habit of glowering at Raiden, but she always averted her gaze when he looked in her direction. No matter how much she despised him for brainwashing Shao Kahn, she still feared him. Had she not shared that fear, D'Vorah would have found this amusing.

The sole person who genuinely enjoyed being anywhere near the Thunder God, and interacting with him, was Hotaru. Shang Tsung only did so out of necessity for whatever plans he had, and his patience was not shared by his group. Noob Saibot glared at Raiden whenever the opportunity presented itself, while the demonesses and the oni duo hid behind their master.

Havik walked away when he noticed D'Vorah approaching. Crossing her arms, Nitara sighed deeply and smiled ruefully at the Kytinn, who nodded in response. They turned their full attention to the arena as Shang Tsung rose from his throne to address the kombatants.

"The first match of the day shall be Bo' Rai Cho vs Skarlet!" At the sorcerer's declaration, D'Vorah relaxed slightly. At least she would not be the first to fight. She and Nitara looked at the four Red Dragon members. With the exception of the smirking Goro, none of them showed any reaction. Skarlet turned into a pool of blood and moved to stage, transforming into her normal form at the same time that Bo' Rai Cho arrived.

Skarlet bowed to the man, and received a bow from him in return.

"Bowing to that stupid, old drunk who can't even stand up straight?" Kano scoffed. Jarek and Kobra snickered. Tasia seemed torn between wanting to share her comrades' amusement and agreeing with Tremor's mutterings about underestimating the enemy.

"That 'stupid, old drunk' trained Liu Kang and Kung Lao, as well as Kotal Kahn's enforcers shortly before this tournament." Daegon said, cold as ice."Liu Kang, the champion of Mortal Kombat who defeated Goro, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn."

Mavado added,"Kung Lao, the descendant and namesake of the Grest Kung Lao, defeated Goro and Kintaro on two separate occasions as well as Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in a two-on-one battle. I imagine Kung Jin is also quite skilled and strong."

"I can attest to Liu Kang and Kung Lao's ability as kombatants." Goro grumbled."Bo' Rai Cho taught them most of what they know about kombat."

"Underestimating him and his best pupils is nothing short of idiotic." Daegon snapped.

"Were you expecting otherwise from Kano, Daegon?" Nitara asked dryly with an equally wry grin.

"This One was not." D'Vorah quipped.

Daegon smirked."I don't think anyone expected otherwise from him or his cohorts."

Kano scowled and opened his mouth to respond.

"Silence!" Raiden shouted to them. They immediately shut their mouths. The anger on Kano's face faded, as did the amusement on Nitara and Daegon's faces. If one glance from Raiden could unerve them to the point of wanting to run away and hide, one word doubled that effect. Satisfied with their silence, Raiden refocused on the two fighters on the stage.

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled.

Skarlet stabbed herself and launched a blood ball at Bo' Rai Cho, hitting him in the chest, though he managed to avoid falling. Opening his mouth, he released a flame. Skarlet transformed into her pool form right after the flame struck her, and she gasped. She returned to her normal form and was about to draw her tanto when he vomited on the floor, causing her to trip. After grabbing her and jumping, he dropped her face first and landed with his elbow on her neck. He jumped again, this time landing on her back. He moved too quick for her to turn into her pool form, so she was left groaning in pain as she struggled to recover from the assault.

Bo' Rai Cho performed several front flips. She evaded him, and threw a kunai into his arm. This distracted him long enough for her to attack. Flipping forward, she slammed her feet against the top of his head and delivered a palm strike into his nose, then roundhouse kicked him. She yanked the kunai out of his arm and slashed the area, smiling as blood sprayed onto her face. When she was satisfied, she kicked him away.

Quick to recover, Bo' Rai Cho lunged forward with a punch. His fist met her chin, sending her into the air. She was able to throw her kunai, which zipped past his cheek and left a small cut. She created a pool of blood and slid across it toward her adversary. Once she was close enough to him, she drew her sword and slashed upwards, sending him into the air. She threw three kunai, two of which impaled his shoulders while the third kunai sliced into his already injured arm. Bo' Rai Cho tried to land on top of her and crush her with his belly, but she evaded him. He hurried to his feet, removing the kunai from his shoulders before throwing the projectiles at her. She caught them, plunged them into her stomach, and blasted a blood ball at him. He fell hard onto his back, blood on his facial features and clothing. Not that Skarlet was stainless; her crimson catsuit and identically-colored hair were stained with vomit.

The construct wasted no time in charging at Bo' Rai Cho and grabbing his neck. She attempted to stab him, but he caught her wrist and headbutted her. While she was stunned, he pulled out his flask, tore off Skarlet's mask, and shoved the flask into her mouth. Her eyes widened as the alcohol was forced down her throat and she fell to her knees, vainly trying to push the flask away. After an entire minute, he removed the flask. Skarlet clutched her throat as more and more vomit leapt from her mouth, and she whimpered in agony.

Raiden scowled in annoyance at the sight of his former ally gaining the advantage and yelled at Skarlet to get up.

Laughing, Kano pointed at Skarlet, but his gaze was on Daegon."Looks like your bitch is getting her ass kicked."

"Indeed." Reiko said, smiling at the demigod.

Daegon shut his eye. When he spoke, his voice was icy cold."First of all, watch your mouths when speaking of one of my lieutenants." Flames flickered his palms as he was crossing his arms, making Kano flinch while Reiko stepped back."Second of all, I expect someone as skilled and wise as the master of Liu Kang, Shao Kahn's one-time killer, to present a challenge for anyone. That being said, Skarlet is very skilled, clever, and strong as well. I would have reacted somehow if I were worried for her, and that reaction would **not** include intervening in the fight. To save her life, perhaps, but **not** to steal hers or Bo Rai Cho's victory." He and Mavado glanced at Raiden afore the former started speaking again."But an intervention will not be necessary. Skarlet will win, not easily, but she **will** win. It is unfortunate that neither of you will win your matches. You don't need to have visions of the future like my mother to predict that much." He looked back at the stage where Skarlet had used her blood pool form to put some distance between herself and her foe. Her retching had not ceased, though it was not as bad as a moment ago. Bo' Rai Cho kept on trying to stomp on her, but she narrowly dodged it each time. He would have succeeded in his last attempt if she hadn't launched a blood ball to knock him backwards.

Shakily, she rose and wiped the leftover vomit from her lips. Bo' Rai Cho was about to repeat his flask attack when Skarlet caught hold of his arm and used her free hand to knock the flask from his grasp. With that same hand she drew her sword to stab him in the shoulder, then let go of his arm so she could slam her elbow against the top of his head, bringing him to his knees. Then she planted her foot on his chest and kicked him away. She rushed to him, grabbing him to repeat the first few steps of the previous assault but changed the ending, this time flipping herself over his body to land behind him and yank the blade out with sufficient force to make him fall to the ground.

After sheathing her blade, she put a hand to her forehead and staggered. She looked ready to retch again and sure enough she began dry-heaving. This did not last long, for she quickly stood up and prepared to keep fighting. Bo' Rai Cho was unfazed by his bleeding wounds or the blood Skarlet had stained him with, and simply sipped from his flask in order to regain some strength and energy whilst he waited for Skarlet to move.

She shook her head and dashed forward, leaving behind a trail of blood. He swung the flask at her, but she flipped herself over his body to land behind him and pushed him onto the blood trail. He slid across the floor on his belly, and she somersaulted, releasing multiple blood balls as she did so. This lengthened the blood trail, and soon everyone realized how much closer Bo' Rai Cho was getting to the edge of the stage. Upon realizing this, Bo' Rai Cho tossed the flask into the air with perfect aim at his foe. Skarlet landed headfirst, the flask falling onto her chest. Bo' Rai Cho came to a stop not too far from the edge of the stage and rolled in Skarlet's direction. She sat up, saw him coming toward her, and turned into a blood pool, allowing him to harmlessly roll over her. She transformed into her normal form as soon as she could, something she regretted when he rolled in her direction yet again and knocked her off her feet. Gripping her ankle, he swung her over his head and slammed her into the floor. Her hand whipped out to take one of the kunai strapped to her leg and she threw it into his neck.

Bo' Rai Cho's eyes widened as he released her ankle and staggered back, bringing his hands close to the kunai in his neck and landing on one knee. Skarlet smiled faintly, knowing victory was hers. Her smile vanished as she looked at Raiden, making it clear that she would not finish off her opponent.

Raiden would have electrocuted Bo' Rai Cho and Skarlet had Liu Kung's fireball, Kung Lao's hat, and Kung Jin's arrow not struck him at that exact moment. The three were already hurrying to their master's aid, the Kung cousins helping him stand while Liu Kang stood protectively in front of them and glared at Raiden, daring him to try something.

Daegon and Mavado took this opportunity to help Skarlet, the former picking her up in his arms as she coughed and spat out bits of alcohol and vomit. She clutched his lapels as he carried her away from the stage with Mavado following closely behind them. The black-haired man was giving her a smile and the ghost of a grin teased Daegon's lips as he gazed at Reiko and Kano. He clearly intended to take her to her quarters to rest, but Raiden had other ideas.

"You shall stay here until the conclusion of today's matches." Daegon and Mavado stopped in their tracks in response to the deity's command. The demigod looked at Skarlet and she nodded firmly despite the fact that she still appeared to be ill. Returning the nod, he set her down on a bench, and knelt to take one of her kunai, which he used to cut his palm. He pressed his palm to her cheek, allowing her skin to absorb the blood and regain some strength. Meanwhile, Raiden, although displeased, moved on to announcing the next battle.

"The next match shall be Reptile vs D'Vorah!" D'Vorah clenched her fists when she heard the declaration. On the other side of the arena, Kotal Kahn reacted identically. The Zaterran placed his hand on the emperor's shoulder. Ermac and Erron glowered at D'Vorah. The Kytinn held her head high and kept her chin up as she flew to the arena, never breaking eye contact with her ex-allies. Relaxing, Kotal nodded at Reptile, and the Zaterran started making his way to the arena.

D'Vorah expected to hear some kind of insult leave Reptile's mouth or for him to glare at her, but that didn't happen. His countenance betrayed no emotion, not studying her like he would a new enemy due to how long they'd known each other nor asking why she'd betrayed Kotal Kahn. The latter was likely because he didn't care to know her reasons or he had an idea of his own as to what those reasons were. Since she had no intentions of explaining herself to anyone, this was perfectly fine with her.

"Fight!" Shang Tsung and Raiden yelled.

Reptile spat acid at her that she dodged afore he became invisible. She flew up just in time to evade more acid and swung her leg in the direction the spit had come from, grinning when her foot met her opponent's jaw. He fell back, now visible, and hit the floor with a grunt. She extended her hands and unclenched her fists, releasing a swarm of wasps. Reptile yelped as the swarm moved underneath him and lifted him into the air. She flew behind him, stabbing her stingers into his shoulder blades. She removed them and then thrust both of her feet into his back. He would have fallen back to the ground had she not sent the swarm to catch him.

The smallets hint of ire glinted in his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, and he spat at her just as she was preparing to stab him in the heart with her stinger. A shriek escaped her lips when the acid landed on her shoulder. The wasps, hearing the sound, dropped Reptile, and he landed hard on his back, but he was up in a microsecond.

Although the wound on her shoulder was still burning, she fought through the pain and sent the swarm to attack him, scowling when he disappeared. The swarm searched for him alongside her. She listened closely for anything that would indicate his location. None came for several seconds, then she heard something from nearby, yet she was unable to detect where the sound came from, and suffered for this when he reappeared directly behind her after leaping and used his claws to slash her underneath her wings. He disappeared before the swarm could reach him. She heard him land and flew straight at him, tackling him. Grabbing him by the neck, she flew up and raised one stinger to stab him. He opened his mouth to spit at her, but she punched him in the forehead, and he blindly swiped his claw at her face, scratching her cheek. Her grip on his neck had loosened, then tightened, and she flung him overhead. He landed headfirst, and she didn't hesitate to attack again.

Gripping his arms, she flew straight toward the audience. Reptile sunk his claws into her arms and though she refused to let go, she did look downwards, allowing him to bite her shoulder. She screamed at the pain of his teeth sinking into her flesh and the acid burning her skin like it had her other shoulder. She dropped Reptile and crashed to the floor, whimpering in agony while covering her new injury. Yet she wasn't in so much pain that she forgot about her opponent. As he was about to swipe his claws at her, she thrust her fist toward his face, but rather than punch him, she opened her hand to release two streams of yellow resin onto the ground, and it formed into a puddle underneath the Zaterran, knocking him over.

She started to fly, shrieking when his tongue abruptly caught her ankle and yanked her downward and turned her upside down in front of him. His claws slashed her forehead and cheeks, her pained cry bringing a pleased smile to his visage. He then kicked her away and became invisible when she sent the swarm of wasps after him. An entire minute had not even passed before she felt something wet and thick wrap around her wrist and yanked her backwards. Claws slashed her back, acid struck the nape of her neck, and she screamed. The wasps hurried to protect her as Reptile kicked her to the floor, his foot briefly digging into the gashes he'd given her. He was gone prior to the wasps' arrival.

Stingers protruded from her back as she searched for Reptile with the swarm's help. Any sound startled her into action, and as a result her stingers had uselessly stabbed at the air multiple times. Reptile was toying with her, hiding his satisfaction at being able to make her suffer for her betrayal. She glanced at the audience, noticing that Ermac's glare hadn't faltered, Erron Black seemed amused by what Reptile was doing to her, and Kotal simply watched the battle in silence. Their eyes met, and she saw a glint of anger in his eyes, then felt Reptile's foot make contact with her head in a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked her down.

D'Vorah rolled onto her back and flew up, taking him with her. She didn't summon the swarm for help this time.

She pulled him close, their faces inches apart."Perhaps This One will kill you like This One killed Baraka." She hissed at him, then headbutted as he was about to spit at her. She changed her position to a chokehold and smiled as he struggled."Or perhaps you shall die like Mileena did." Baraka was absent from the audience, but Mileena was present and yelling insults at the Kytinn. Not that D'Vorah cared.

With her choking him, he couldn't spit at her and his hands were occupied with trying to pry her fingers off his neck. She raised a stinger, wondering if she should aim for his heart or impale several times to prolong his death. Raiden would be pleased regardless of how she ended her opponent's life and Kotal would have an additional reason to seek vengeance on her for killing Reptile.

Reptile grinned. Immediately after this unexpected change in facial expression, pain touched her back, and she dropped Reptile. She turned around, unsurprised to see that Black had drawn his gun, Ermac looked ready to shoot a projectile at her, and Kotal also, of course, appeared ready to attack the woman who'd betrayed him to save his friend's life. Yet none of them had attacked her a second ago; instead, all eyes were on Kenshi, who, despite his blindness, was clearly glaring at Raiden. When Takeda spoke to him, he smirked and said,"Honor is such a silly thing. Don't you agree?"

Kotal and Liu Kang looked at each other, then sent the deity sardonic grins."Indeed." The latter said.

Raiden, now shaking with anger, lifted his hand with obvious intentions. Shang Tsung jumped from his throne, reaching out to stop the deity, but Hotaru beat him to it. The Seidan placed his naginata in front of Raiden, his gaze focused on his enemies as he completely ignored the surprised look Raiden was giving him.

The enigmatic smile that formed on Hotaru's face was reminiscent of the one Darrius often wore."I couldn't agree more." His tone was pleasant. Too pleasant, and it unsettled everyone on Kotal's side and also caused the anger to leave Raiden. Shang Tsung slowly sat back down, studying Hotaru with an uneasy mien. Hotaru put away his naginata and turned to the two kombatants on the stage.

"Please continue." Hotaru said to them. Neither needed to be told twice.

Reptile slid across the floor to the Kytinn, hitting her and sending her flying into the air whilst D'Vorah fired a green venomous resin from an insect on her arm. She used her wings to break her fall and narrowly evaded the acid he was spitting at her after he dodged her attack.

She sent the swarm of wasps after him again, and he was too distracted with trying to swat them with his claws and spit at them to notice her flying right at him. Her stinger slammed into his stomach, and he let out a choked cry. She gracefully landed on her feet, her foe's blood staining the stinger as he slid down it until their faces were inches apart. She punched him in the forehead to ensure he wouldn't spit on her, and he slid further down the stinger, kicking weakly at her as she punched him once more.

"Finish him!" Raiden ordered with a wild grin on his face. Children expressed less joy over new toys than he was right now. She could hear his hands crackling with lightning, not sure if it was intended to punish her if she disobeyed him or to prevent Reptile's comrades from trying to save him. It was likely both. She could feel Kotal's eyes on her back, on his friend who was struggling to escape as she kept on him hitting him so he couldn't utilize his acid spit, on the woman who'd betrayed him and currently held the life of his most loyal, trustworthy enforcer in her hands.

D'Vorah looked into the frantic, desperate, determined eyes of Reptile. He'd had that same look in his eyes when he protected Kotal from Mileena. At this very moment, he wasn't resisting death because he feared it; he would live or die for Kotal, whichever he felt was necessary. He wasn't a coward...unlike her.

She didn't think twice before carefully placing him on the floor."What are you waiting for?" She quietly spoke over her shoulder to audience on Kotal's side."He requires medical attention." She flew up as Kotal, Ermac, Black, and Chameleon ran to the aid of Reptile. Chameleon stood a few feet away from the group as they tended to their injured comrade, watching them with a conflicted expression afore approaching them to lend a hand. Kotal was squeezing Reptile's hand as the others were tending to him, then suddenly looked up at D'Vorah. She couldn't even figure out what emotion was glinting in his eyes because a lightning bolt struck her. Screaming, she fell, and Raiden appeared next to her in an instant. One hand was pointed at D'Vorah while the other was directed at Daegon, Mavado, and Skarlet.

Fear filled her, and she trembled as she gazed up at the furious Thunder God. Daegon, Mavado, and Skarlet showed no fear, though they weren't challenging him either. It was then that Kotal spoke.

"Go ahead." He said."Kill them. It will make our victory that much easier than it already is."

Black shrugged."Not like we expect anythin' different from you."

"Raiden." Hotaru called. When Raiden turned to him, the Seidan shook his head and Raiden relented with a sigh. Shang Tsung's uneasiness seemingly increased at this.

"That is enough for today." Hotaru declared."We will continue this tomorrow."

Nitara flew onto the stage and silently offered to help D'Vorah stand, which she accepted. They ignored Raiden, as did everyone else. Nitara muttered that Havik wished to speak to them. The winged duo followed the cleric of chaos into the training room.

"You know what he wants, don't you?" Nitara asked without looking at her.

D'Vorah pursed her lips."The real question is what our answer shall be." Nitara shut her eyes, and gave no reply.

In the middle of the room, Havik paced and mumbled while he waited for them. If she listened closely, she could hear him mutter,"I should've taken Darrius's offer when I had the chance." He heard them land, and tapped his foot impatiently as they approached him.

"I don't think I need to explain why I asked you to come here." Straight to the point, something neither woman knew Havik to do in the past. This simply enforced D'Vorah's beliefs about the effects of Raiden's behavior on Havik's demeanor. Not a single person, be they ally or enemy, was uneffected by the insane Thunder God."I want in on your alliance."

Nitara crossed her arms, ignoring the gander D'Vorah shot her, and instead kept her gaze on Havik."You cannot just expect us to agree, especially when we have no way of knowing if you'll betray us or not, as well as the question of how you'd contribute."

Havik also crossed his arms."You didn't fear D'Vorah would betray you when you offered-"

"This One offered an alliance, and Nitara accepted." D'Vorah had no idea why she felt the sudden to speak up, only that she was tired of staying silent while the other two conversed.

"My point still stands." Havik responded."And if anything, it just adds to my point." He then addressed Nitara."You agreed to work with a known traitor at her own insistence, yet you hesitate to grant me that luxury."

The vampiress pretended not to hear that last statement and asked,"How would you be of use?"

Havik smiled then, not his usual chaotic, confident smile, but still similar to the one his old self normally wore."Years ago, Quan Chi deceived you into believing he could help you free your realm from Outworld, only to be ambush you and drain you of your Blood Magik, which he then gave to me. If we become allies, I'll help you regain your Blood Magik."

 **That** caused her calm, stoic visage to shatter. Her arms uncrossed and fell to her sides, and she gaped at him. She shook her head, and accused him of lying, to which he responded by shaking his head and reminding her of how foolish and pointless it'd be to lie to her now in his position.

D'Vorah didn't bother demanding her own favor from Havik. Although she could have used two favors for the future, and did believe Havik would fulfill his promise to Nitara and that he was as desperate to save himself from Raiden as they were, she didn't trust him in the long run. She would make do with one favor from Nitara. So when Nitara finally glanced at her to wordlessly ask her opinion, D'Vorah nodded and the vampiress returned the gesture afore turning back to Havik and uttering,"Very well then."

Looking at the ceiling, D'Vorah half-jokingly wondered who would join them next.

* * *

 _ **Kotal Kahn's side:**_ _Kotal Kahn, Ermac, Erron Black, Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kabal, Nightwolf, Jade/Delia, Taven, Ashrah, Ruby, Scorpion, Jacqui, Kung Jin, Jax, Kai, Chameleon, Quan Chi._

 _ **Raiden's side:**_ _Raiden, Hotaru, Shang Tsung, Daegon, Mavado, Skarlet, Goro, Kano, Jarek, Tremor, Kobra, Mileena, Tanya, Nitara, D'Vorah, Havik, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Jataaka, Drahmin, Moloch, Triborg, Shao Kahn._

 _As I'm sure you've noticed, I avoided Bo' Rai Cho's fart moves because despite my contempt for alcohol and alcohol jokes, I can handle them just fine. The same cannot be said for fart jokes. That said, I like his character and his connections to other characters' backstories, so I don't really mind his fighting style._

 _I've been trying to lessen my use of the phrase "fate worse than death", which is hard when a central part of my characterization of D'Vorah is based on her disagreement with this phrase, so it made sense to me._

 _Death in fiction and death in real life have always been two very different things, even for characters who are canonically killed off for real some stories. As Ed Boom said, no one really dies in Mortal Kombat. Literally every MK character except for the new ones introduced in MKX have died at least once in the previous or new timeline, so I think it makes sense for them to believe in fates worse than death, having experienced both of those things (even if they don't remember, they'd still feel connected to it). As a new character, D'Vorah has never died, but is aware of fates considered to be worse than death and **partially** understands the mindset of the majority. Since she hasn't experienced death, she fears it more than any other fate and avoids it because she doesn't want to die and find out for herself if those that prefer death are correct. In my opinion, that's what makes her a survivor and relatable to us. In real life, no one can say if there are fates worse than death. We say things like "I'd rather die than do this" but we have no idea if death is truly the better option._

 _Many people believe in an afterlife where good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell, especially those with bad lives, but no one person can truly call himself or herself good or bad, even if they don't hesitate to do that to other people. We judge others but we hesitate to judge ourselves, because we know we've done good and bad things. This applies to nonreligious people too, though the reasons may not be entirely the same but are ultimately somewhat similar. There are people who claim to not fear death, but I think everyone to some extent fears death, be it outright terror or just anxiety/_ _discomfort. It's human nature._

 _Anyway, sorry for the speech. Writing D'Vorah in this fanfic just got me thinking. Feel free to ignore it and just read the story._

 _Hope the fight scenes were good._

 _GNTR96 - Your support is very much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)_

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 91:Shang Tsung II_


	92. Chapter 91:Shang Tsung II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"Anyone can betray anyone."  
— Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen (Red Queen, #1))

 **Chapter 91:Shang Tsung II**

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No risk, no reward.

Shang Tsung was no stranger to this phrase. Whenever he suffered from the many negatives that came with allying with Shao Kahn and Quan Chi, he remembered those words and they gave him the resolve to go on. Unfortunately, the risks he'd taken had provided no reward. Quan Chi was always one step ahead of him and managed win Shao Kahn's favor by enacting plans the stealer of souls had intended to use, making him lose credibility in the eyes of the emperor, and eventually resulted in Shao Kahn killing him. Needless to say, he was pleased at both of their fates. Quan Chi lost his free will and Shao Kahn was aware of his actions yet lacked control over them. A smirk crossed his lips at this thought.

That being said, every risk he took, whether rewarding or not, was planned. He worked on getting to know his allies and enemies, on predicting their next move, on meticulously planning his decisions and actions. Of course, someone usually threw a wrench in the works. Last time, Quan Chi had been the culprit. Now, there were multiple culprits, and that worried him more than he wished to admit.

It had started on the first day of the tournament. He expected Raiden to break his word at some point, but not this soon. How foolish was he? Daegon loathed betrayal and disrespect toward his subordinates; it was only natural for him to become indignant for Skarlet's sake when he blatantly admitted to lying about letting her kill Ruby. As if that was not bad enough, Baraka lost to the Edenian, making Raiden look like a fool as well as a liar.

Shao Kahn was impulsive and easily manipulated while Shinnok was calm, collected, and skilled at manipulating; Raiden was both, and so it was difficult to predict what he would do. Not impossible, but difficult. Shang Tsung did not believe in impossibility; how could he when he lived in a world of impermanent death and magik, both of which were things he was capable of? If he could handle those things, and learn to use them to his advantage, he could work his way around the mentality of his latest ally.

Improvisation was not something he was fond of, but he understood its importance in these situations. Not everything could be predicted, after all, and improvisation was a necessary skill when one's opponent was Sonya Blade, the woman who'd brought a dragon into the story and obviously intended to use Orin in the future; one had to be brainless not to. It was the reasonable thing to do...and reason no longer applied to Raiden. Shang Tsung honestly wondered if Raiden even knew the definition of the term anymore.

Now the sorcerer found himself trying to clean up Raiden's mess and rise above Hotaru in terms of trust for the Thunder God. Hotaru was more patient than Raiden, though not by much, so his calmness today was worrying. Hotaru's obsession with order usually made him predictable, but recently, he'd proved that notion incorrect. Just what was going on in the Seidan's mind?

Shaking his head, he came to a stop in front of the door to Daegon's quarters and knocked. After a moment, the demigod uttered,"Enter." Shang Tsung opened the door and was greeted by the distrustful gazes of the room's occupants. Daegon was seated on the edge of bed. Skarlet sat on the mattress, hugging her knees. She did not look as pale and ill as earlier. Mavado was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. All three were silent as they regarded their visitor.

Daegon sighed."What do you want, sorcerer?" He rubbed his temples as if to get rid of a headache.

Shang Tsung put a hand to his chest, feigning sadness and disappointment."My, my, that is no way to treat a guest-"

If looks could kill, Shang Tsung would have been reduced to a pile of ash from the death glares Daegon, Mavado, and Skarlet were giving him. The Red Dragon leader's voice was icy when he spoke again."I'll repeat myself: what do you want, sorcerer?"

No pleasantries then? Oh well, might as well get to the point."Your actions as of late have...concerned me. It would be wise for you to cease this defiance."

Daegon closed his eye and gave a faint, mirthless smile."It would have been wise for Raiden not to deceive and disrespect us in the first place, and it would have even wiser of him not to trust **you**." He opened his eye and inclined his head."With the exception of Raiden, no one believes you to be his true ally. I wonder how long it will be until the truth comes out."

Shang Tsung smiled slowly and widely."Hmm." He sighed."I suppose your refusal to listen is predictable, but it was worth trying. You claim to know my intentions for the future, so allow me to ask you this: do **you** intend to betray Raiden?" Daegon's expression turned into a stoical mask, and he looked away from the sorcerer. Skarlet and Mavado did the same. Shang Tsung hummed thoughtfully, realizing they wanted an answer to that question as much as he did. He also realized that said answer would not come now and so he decided to leave.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Noob Saibot appeared next to him.

"This plot of yours going well, sorcerer." The wraith's voice was wet with sarcasm.

Shang Tsung rolled his eyes as they walked together through the hall."It is as much your plot as it is mine, **emperor**." He shot him a stern look that reminded him whom he should thank for acquiring that title, and smiled when Noob scowled beneath his mask. He resisted the urge to also remind him that the Brotherhood of Shadows and the Oni were loyal to him and only served the emperor because the sorcerer commanded them to. Although he certainly enjoyed putting Noob in his place, there couldn't be too much hostility between them if they were to succeed. Afterwards, however...he fought not to let his smile widen.

Considering the wraith's previous alliance with Quan Chi, the stealer of soul's rival, he was careful in how he handled their alliance. If Noob Saibot had been willing to ally with the man responsible for tricking Scorpion into murdering him simply because he received a more powerful, deadlier form in return, what else was he willing to do? His arrogance was strong, but too common a weakness to take advantage of. Like Shang Tsung, Noob had grown more careful. Luckily, he had another weakness: Sareena. His obsession with the demoness knew no bounds, and could easily be used against him. No matter how careful Noob was, he could not control what he felt for her. Shang Tsung mentally laughted as he imagined offering to save Sareena from Noob by letting her rejoin her former comrades and tempting Ashrah by offering to let her kill Noob with the Kriss. Yes, that would work. Their consciences would be sufficiently affected by the war in making them accept his offer. All he had to do was be patient.

"What do you think of Hotaru?" Noob asked. So he wasn't alone in his concern over Hotaru somehow damaging their plans. The realization neither calmed nor disturbed him any more than his own concerns had already affected him.

"It seems he is taking a page of Darrius's book." Shang Tsung replied. Despite never meeting the rebel leader, his reputation preceded him, as did the history of his relationship with Hotaru. There was nothing Hotaru wouldn't do to finally crush the Seidan Rebellion and kill its leader; perhaps he decided the best way to accomplish that was to copy some of Darrius's behavioral patterns. They certainly used similar tactics in warfare in spite of their different goals.

"We must tread carefully with him." He eventually whispered. Havik's obsession with chaos made him predictable just like Hotaru's obsession with order made him equally predictable. Darrius was unpredictable, and if Hotaru became like him...

Would Havik follow that path as well? Shang Tsung took a risk reviving the cleric of chaos, planning to have him stir additional trouble within Raiden's forces, but now he worried if that risk was worth taking, if there was a reward to gain from it. As much as it pained him to admit it, even just to himself, he was beginning to rethink his plan, not regret, but rethink, and that was not something he enjoyed or was accustomed to. What he did enjoy and was not unaccustomed to was being able to control, manipulate, and predict what his allies and enemies would do and say...and the position he was in was making that increasingly difficult.

Everything had been going according to plan until recently, and it did not appear as though that would change.

Noob studied him, frowning when he failed to find a hint of worry on the sorcerer's face or in his eyes. Afterwards, Noob schooled his own features into stoicalness and looked away.

"Shang Tsung." A firm voice uttered from a few feet behind them. They turned to see Goro approaching them. Goro sneered Noob, who sneered back. Shang Tsung rolled his eyes again and gestured for Noob to step aside, which she reluctantly did, and Goro stepped moved to stand where Noob had previously been standing.

"May I help you, Prince Goro?" Shang Tsung asked, ignoring Noob's scoff at the use of Goro's former title. Goro ignored this as well, nodding after looking around to make sure no one else was around to hear their conversation. Shang Tsung exchanged glances with Noob, then asked Goro follow him to his quarters so they could speak in private.

Noob crossed his arms and leaned against the door. Shang Tsung clasped his hands behind his back as he stood beside the former Sub-Zero. Both men had their suspicions regarding what the Shokan wanted. Goro likely knew that, because he went straight to the point.

"I seek to join your alliance."

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow."Go on."

"I have spent years now biding my time with the Red Dragon Clan, which Daegon is well aware of and does not care so long as I do not give him reason to." Goro's eyes narrowed."I am finished biding my time. They are not doing anything that will work out in my favor."

"So you've decided to join another group." Noob said dryly."Someone with that kind of loyalty, or lack thereof-"

"You are hardly one to talk." Goro retorted."And you are no better, sorcerer. I have no desire to follow whatever path Daegon takes, nor am I foolish enough to loyally serve Raiden, whose false promises have made me question the intelligence of anyone that allied with him of their own free will. A sensible man would plot to betray him when he least expects it..."

Noob snorted."It you are trying to flatter us, it is not working. A child could figure out that we intend to betray Raiden. You'd be a fool not to betray him." He sighed."That being said, we have no reason to accept you into our alliance. If you cannot contribute-"

"I did come here empty-handed." Goro snapped, then grinned."Tell me, what do you know of the Dragon King?"

Before Noob could respond, Shang Tsung said,"Onaga, ruler of Outworld prior to his death at his advisor Shao Kahn's hands via poison. His army was unstoppable, and if you cut off his hand...another grew in its place."

Goro lifted all four of his arms. His grin widened."Daegon used that power to restore my arms. If we become allies, that power will be yours. All I desire in return is Kotal Kahn and Sheeva's heads as well as my rightful place as ruler of the Shokan."

Neither Shang Tsung nor Noob Saibot showed any emotion while glancing at each other, yet both knew they agreed about Goro.

Shang Tsung turned to Goro and nodded."Very well."

* * *

 _Sorry if this chapter seemed too short or boring. Still, I hope it was worth the wait._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! ;)_

 _GNTR96 - Glad you're still enjoying the story :)_

 _Next up: Chapter 92:Hotaru II_


	93. Chapter 92:Hotaru II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"We planned for betrayal. They planned for deceit. No one ever thought to plan for harmony."  
— Jonathan Hickman (The Manhattan Projects #7)

 **Chapter 92:Hotaru II**

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"This is becoming troublesome."

"It was troublesome from the start."

Neither his face nor his voice betrayed any emotion as he responded to Raiden's worried statement. He stood by a table, tapping his fingers against its surface. Even with his back facing the Thunder God, Hotaru knew he was pacing. Not that he didn't share his worry regarding recent events; he was simply better at hiding and suppressing what he felt. Years as protector of Orderrealm had taught him not to let his emotions cloud his judgment and focus on logic, the latter of which Raiden required some practice in.

"May I speak freely, Raiden?" Hotaru asked over his shoulder. Raiden stopped pacing and nodded. Hotaru's eyes narrowed."With all due respect, I **did** warn you that your latest courses of actions would come back to bite us. I think it is safe to say I was correct."

Raiden sighed, grumbling his agreements. Anyone else would have been electrocuted for disagreeing with him, let alone lecturing him. Luckily for Hotaru, he and Raiden trusted each other. Out of their entire group they were the only ones who genuinely cared about bringing order to the world, so while Raiden did not enjoy their difference of opinions or the lecture Hotaru had just delivered, he did not dismiss Hotaru's words.

Hotaru pinched the bridge of his nose."Were this our sole issue, it would not be worth as much concern."

"What do you mean?" Raiden inquired.

"Prior to our departure, the Senate expressed its doubts about our alliance. As I said, if this was all we needed to worry about, we would be fine, but when combining these issues..." He trailed off with a frown, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully."I've had my fair share of disagreements with them in the past. Though we pursue the same goal, they have never agreed with my methods due to how similar they are to Darrius's. Recently, their doubts have worsened." He scoffed."They are people of words, not action. Though Darrius is my enemy, I respect the man for doing whatever he deems necessary to achieve his goals. The Senate fears that I may surpass him in ruthlessness. I even heard a few of them suggest a truce with Darrius."

Raiden's jaw dropped, then his facial features settled into a ferocious scowl."That means-"

"Darrius is closer to success than he realizes." A moment after saying that, Hotaru snorted."Perhaps this is how he intended to win. Perhaps this is one of the many scenarios he planned for. Perhaps it is simply a stroke of luck. It is impossible to decipher his thoughts. Honestly, part of me has come to enjoy our war over the years. Of all the foes I have fought during my time as a member and later leader of the Seidan Guard, He is the only one who has earned my respect."

Raiden hummed in amusement and thoughtfulness before grinning."He is not invincible. No mortal is. Though I do give him credit for his ability to hide his weaknesses."

The Seidan copied the deity's half-thoughtful, half-amused hum as he looked at the table and tapped his fingers against the table's surface."He has his secrets. That is for certain. None of my spies are as efficient as his? I can rarely predict what he shall do or when he plans to act, yet he has little trouble predicting my actions. How one can be so chaotic and so orderly at the same time fascinates me. I have resorted to some of his methods, yes, but I refuse to start riots or put my trust in mercenaries." No sooner had the word 'mercenaries' left his mouth, than realization struck him, and his eyes widened."Darrius has always used mercenaries, most of whom lost their lives once their jobs were done in order to keep them quiet. The sole exception that I know of is..." He narrowed his eyes, and spoke in an ice cold tone of voice,"Dairou."

Raiden moved to stand beside him."The one who freed the girl?"

Nodding, Hotaru clenched his hands into fists on the table."Dairou is...was an old friend of mine who lost his way. He was a member of the Seidan Guard. I trusted him greatly, and the feeling was mutual. Even when he became slightly unnerved by the changes I went through as my war with Darrius began, he supported me." He closed his eyes, the smallest bit of sadness filling him afore he shook his head. Dairou had expressed concern for him as the war against the Seidan Rebellion went on, but did not blatantly question him or try to stop him from doing what needed to be done. Some argued that Dairou only refrained from protesting too much out of fear that Hotaru would target him and his family as punishment, but he refused to believe that. Someone had had faith in him for a time and as much as Hotaru tended to ignore the opinions of others as long as order was preserved, he truly desired for someone to trust his judgement. After Dairou's fall, that position had been left empty until Hotaru's alliance with Raiden.

"How did he fall?" Raiden sounded increasingly interested in hearing about the mercenary.

Hotaru opened his eyes, his face showing no emotion."His parents' health declined as they grew older to the point that they could not live without a caretaker. Dairou and his wife welcomed them into their home." He smiled."He had a daughter named Brielle. She was quite stubborn, much like her father, but eager to help her parents and grandparents in any way she could. Viviana reminded me of her a bit." His smile vanished, and the emotionless mask returned."Dairou accompanied me on a mission to restore order to a village not far from the city. We were gone for a few days, and it was not the first time duty called us on such a mission. The only different detail about that mission was what we found upon our return. Dairou invited me to say hello to his family on our way back, and I agreed. When we arrived, we...found all of them dead. Someone had snuck inside their home and killed them in their sleep."

"Did you find the assassin?"

"Dairou did some investigating, and found the man he believed was responsible for murdering his family. He killed him, and we later discovered the man had been innocent and was actually searching for the true culprit as well." Sighing, Hotaru crossed his arms."The rest is history." He glanced at the ceiling."Dairou escaped from prison during a riot and has lived the life of a mercenary ever since. As a former member of the Seidan Guard, he would be an ideal ally for Darrius, but only recently did he join the rebels, and that was for his own reasons."

"He is a mercenary. Money-"

"So he claims." Hotaru said."It would have been easy to dismiss him as another traitor, but he is not a follower of chaos or order. And he does not lack morals. He refuses to harm children, for obvious reasons, likely part of the reason why he rescued Viviana in addition to his usual pay. Him officially joining the fight against me was surprising, however. Since his fall, he has clearly expressed his disinterest in both mine and Darrius's causes." His frown returned as he continued to look at the ceiling."It seems he has come to see me as a monster as well."

Why did that bother him? Dairou wasn't the first former comrade of his to betray him, nor would he be the last. It didn't bother him enough to keep him awake at night, but that it affected him at all was baffling.

"The girl." Raiden spoke up, snapping him back into reality. The ghost of a smile appeared on the deity's face."You said she is reminiscent of his dead daughter?" Hotaru nodded, confused afore he realized what Raiden was getting at it."Though your spies are not as efficient as the rebels are, they have gathered some useful information, including rumors of a child under Dairou's protection whom he has grown attached to." Raiden was now smirking."Care to guess the child's identity?"

That was worth considering. It would be diffiuclt to capture anyone left behind in Outworld due to the presence of Orin. That wasn't to say it was impossible; rather, it required careful planning. And given their current situation, the risk may not be worth taking. He did not want to be too quick to dismiss this idea, though, so he replied,"I will consider it."

Having had his fill of this subject for today, Hotaru said,"There is also the matter of the Red Dragon Clan. They have become disobedient as of late." He refrained from uttering the reason for their disobedience, instead settling on giving Raiden a blank stare."Your deception regarding your promise to Skarlet has resulted in Kenshi and his brat, as well as Bo' Rai Cho, all being spared." He lifted a hand to stop Raiden from interrupting."And before you argue that Mavado spared Kenshi because you intervened in their battle, allow me to remind you that Mavado said he would not have killed Kenshi even if he had won the match fair and square." He exhaled deeply while rubbing his temples."Listen to me, Raiden. I am not opposed to your manipulation of certain allies as long as it does not hinder our plan. Shang Tsung and his group conspiring to betray us should be the only allies whose future betrayal concerns us. Skarlet and Mavado will serve us unless Daegon decides otherwise, so I suggest you make amends. I do not care how, just get it done. Loath as I am to admit this, Daegon has resources we need in order to win this war. One near defection is sufficiently unpleasant. If his mother and brother think they can convince them to join them this time..." There was no need to finish that thought out loud.

Hotaru recrossed his arms."We will speak more tomorrow. I hope this issue will have been resolved by then." He then bowed his head and exited the room, leaving Raiden to his thoughts.

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 _I initially intended for this to be Raiden's chapter, but when I started writing it and remembered whose chapter comes after this one I realized it would be better off in Hotaru's POV. Don't worry though, Raiden will get another POV Chapter soon enough._

 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! And check my profile for status updates! :)_

 _GNTR96 - As usual, thanks for your support._

 _CrimzonNova510 - Guess you'll just have to wait and see :)_

 _CharlieFreak180 - Glad you're still enjoying the story_

 _Next up: Chapter 93:Dairou II_


	94. Chapter 93:Dairou II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"If a wife lost a husband, there was a whole new word to describe who she was: she was now a widow. A husband became a widower. But if a parent loses a child, there was no special label for their grief. They were still just a mother or a father, even if they no longer had a son or daughter."  
― M.L. Stedman

 **Chapter 93:Dairou II**

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He dreamt of **them** again.

His parents, who'd been barely clinging to life in their old age. His wife, who'd supported and consoled him whenever he agonized over the actions his occupation as a member of the Seidan Guard required. And his daughter, Brielle, who could them everyone smile no matter the circumstances, who most reminded him of what he was fighting for when he questioned himself after a difficult mission. All of them were dead, murdered in their sleep with less dignity than euthanized animals.

Dairou's body trembled as he struggled to shake off the memory from the dream. He had been seated by the window, lost in thought, and he must've fallen asleep. He gazed at the sunrise through the window. His sleeping schedule had been completely disordered due to the various times his jobs took place, but his recent decision to join the war effort and take care of Viviana demanded stability, so he went to bed at more reasonable hours. That being said, last night was an example of his new routine and previous lack thereof clashing, with the latter winning.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Viviana looked at him from her cot with wide, concerned eyes. Without waiting for his response, she crawled out of bed and padded over to him to place a hand on his arm. She clearly regretted asking such an obvious question, but did not want to embarrass herself any further by giving up. The awkwardness of the gesture brought the urge to smile. He sighed and chucked her under the chin. Giggling, she slapped his hand away.

He had been allowing himself to smile more around her. She, in return, talked to him. While she did possess childhood innocence, the loss of her parents had damaged a good portion of it. Yet she hadn't lost the ability to smile or giggle while playing with Ferra, who was far from the best example of a normal girl. She knew about her parents' involvement in the rebellion, but avoided discussing it with him, or prying into his past. They settled on simple subjects.

Though they never spoke about it, she expressed worry for him through her eyes upon overhearing his conversation with Darrius about the mission. Those participating in the attack on the temple or the distraction in Seido would leave before sunrise tomorrow, and that included him. He, Kira, and Sindel would infiltrate the base in Seido to rescue Caro.

She stopped patting his arm, lowering her gaze to the floor. She was biting her lip and opening and closing her mouth every few seconds as if hesitating to speak up. She had looked at him with worry upon overhearing Darrius mention the mission, but refrained from bringing it up in conversation. Until now, it seemed.

Dairou sighed."I will be fine, child." He rested his hand on her head. She didn't look up.

"I'm a mercenary." He reminded her."Dangerous missions are nothing new to me." She nodded, still looking at the floor. He flicked her forehead lightly."Raiden attacked us recently, and we won. Now it is our turn to attack him and win again. Didn't your parents teach you about war?"

She stiffened at the mention of her parents, making him regret his words."They didn't directly involve me in their work and explained why they felt they had to help Darrius, so I know how dangerous war is. They considered sending me to a safe house in case they were exposed. Darrius said no, though. I think he said it was the best way to maintain cover. Hotaru would never suspect someone like that."

Dairou's hand returned to resting atop her head."Darrius is clever, but he's not infallible." Long before Viviana's parents were exposed as spies, Hotaru had caught and executed many other betrayers, yet Darrius had little trouble recruiting more to his cause. Hotaru merely created martyrs as a result of his 'justice' and his recent actions, particularly the destruction of Li Mei's village, made him look more like a monster and Darrius appear even more like the hero. Darrius may not be infallibe, but even his mistakes and losses often became gains. Slowly but surely he was drifting toward victory in his war against Hotaru. Perhaps there was truth to the rumors about some members of the Senate suggesting a truce with Darrius.

Dairou shook his head as he stood. Viviana hugged his leg, just as she had when thanking him for saving her life once he had escorted her to the rebels' headquarters. He reached down to pat her head again, but she pulled away from him as quickly as she'd moved toward him and turned to leave the room. Dairou followed, figuring that she wanted to see Ferra. His sleeping schedule wasn't the only one affected by Raiden's actions. That anyone got any sleep was a miracle.

When they arrived at the section of the infirmary where Torr was being kept, Viviana hurried to interact with Ferra. There were guards in the room, so he felt comfortable leaving her there while he went to get food for her.

As he headed to the cafeteria, he passed Hanzo Hasashi. Before the former spectre was out of earshot, Dairou said,"Thank you for the advice." They both stopped walking, neither turning to look at the other.

Dairou closed his eyes and swallowed. He needed to say this."Viviana reminds me quite a bit of my daughter, but she cannot replace her, nor can I replace her parents. However, I am...glad for this opportunity."

Finally, they looked at each other over their shoulders. Hanzo nodded, and Dairou nodded back. Then they walked away.

Darrius and Shujinko were standing near the doorway to the cafeteria and in the middle of a conversation when they noticed Dairou approaching. Dairou stopped in front of them and crossed his arms.

Darrius adjusted his sunglasses."I hope you're ready for tomorrow. We have much riding on this." Most people would have initiated a conversation with these words. Darrius wasn't most people, so Dairou simply gave a nod that the rebel leader returned afore walking away.

Shujinko moved closer to Dairou."Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume that was his way of wishing you good luck?"

Dairou smirked as he gazed in the direction Darrius had left."He doesn't believe in luck. He believes in making sure everything gets done through one's own hard work. He wouldn't still be alive if that wasn't the case. Though I've never considered him a hero, he **is** a survivor. I can respect that. Hotaru does as well."

"Do you think he will be present at the battle in Seido?" Shujinko asked.

Dairou shrugged."After everything that's happened so far, we must be prepared for anything." He hesitated."You are staying behind, correct?" At Shujinko's nod."I imagine you already have your own duties in regards to this mission, but would you mind-"

Shujinko bowed his head and rested one hand over his heart."I will look after Viviana while you are gone."

Dairou bowed his head in return."Thank you."

"There is not much for those of us remaining behind to do, actually." Shujinko said with a shrug."Other than be wary of another surprise attack, of course. It makes this old man feel more useful to do something else."

The mercenary gave him a surprised look as they walked into the cafeteria together."You feel useless?"

"Ever since leaving the Kang Temple to participate in this war, yes." The older man admitted."I am not fighting in the tournament, nor am I attending war preparation meetings. You and the others at least have people you care for to spend your free time with. There is nothing I can do but wait for orders or," He gestured to Dairou,", fulfill a favor for an ally."

"Then you are clearly **not** useless." Dairou stated."I would not ask just anyone to keep an eye on Viviana. Though we are not friends, I do respect and trust you. In fact, you are the only person here whom I have complete trust and respect in."

"Darrius is not included in that category?"

Dairou snorted."Especially not Darrius." He crossed his arms and stiffened as he thought about the rebel leader."I respect him, and I trust in his money, but as a person, only his followers feel that way about him. I suppose I cannot blame them, considering his skills as a persuader and his status as the sole enemy of Hotaru to still draw breath and actually make progress in the fight against him."

Shujinko nodded in understanding."You have...mixed feelings about him then." Dairou hummed his confirmation."We are of the same opinion about him. Him...and Hotaru."

Dairou shut his eyes. Ever since Darrius asked him if he considered Hotaru a monster, every thought and mention of his former comrade discomforted him. Why this was the case was beyond him. It shouldn't be so hard to answer that question with the knowledge of what he'd done to Li Mei's people, and his willingness to execute Viviana for the crimes of her parents.

Dairou swore never to hurt a child, so much so that he took great pleasure in fulfilling assassination jobs calling for the death of someone who'd victimized children. How many children had died when Hotaru burned Li Mei's village to the ground? Yet still he hesitated to call him a monster.

He didn't hesitate to call Hotaru a dictator, or a ruthless man obsessed with achieving his goals. So why did he hesitate to take it a step further? Surely Hotaru would not grant him the same courtesy; ergo, what reason did Dairou have to be lenient in judging Hotaru?

Dairou opened his eyes."Hotaru is..." He trailed off.

Once more, Shujinko nodded in understanding."...complicated."

Was it because of his past with Hotaru that he was reluctant to judge him? He looked at Shujinko, who smiled sadly and patted him on the shoulder.

"He was my friend in the past as well." He reminded the mercenary. He sighed."Now he is a villain. I can say that with certainty. But I cannot bring myself to call him a monster, no matter how much he may deserve that title."

"Yes." Dairou whispered in agreement.

They settled into a comfortable silence after that, allowing the topic of Hotaru to leave their minds as they focused on preparing for tomorrow.

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 94:Frost II_


	95. Chapter 94:Frost II

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.**

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"The shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends."  
— Marcus Tullius Cicero (De Senectute, De Amicitia)

 **Chapter 94:Frost II**

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"This is most unlike you."

Frost whipped around, grimacing as the sudden movement caused pain to her ribs. She had been watching the sunset through the window while she waited for Sareena when Sub-Zero suddenly spoke up. The demoness had taken to eating dinner in the infirmary with her Lin Kuei comrades, though only Frost waited for her. She knew she didn't have to, but the two had been spending a decent amount of time together recently, and Frost enjoyed conversing with her, regardless of how serious or lighthearted the topic was.

Sareena seemed to enjoy their interactions as well. Frost found herself wishing they had done this in the past. The circumstances that led to them becoming friends were far from joyous, but they refrained from wallowing in regret. That was the last thing they needed at this time.

Sub-Zero hadn't spoken to her since awakening from his coma. Understandable, considering his duties as one of the leaders within their forces. Sareena sometimes accompanied him on meetings; he never protested, appearing to enjoy her company almost as much as Frost did. He even smiled at her when he thought no one would notice. Frost once remarked on this to Sareena, who dismissed the topic. She decided that it wasn't her business, so she ignored it. Those two had always been close; it was just more noticeable now.

Frost regarded her wheelchair-bound mentor. Hopefully, the mission to conquer the Sky Temple would end in success, giving them access to the Jinsei for their wounded. She tried not to think about how easy healing their physical wounds would be compared to their mental ones when the war hadn't even started yet.

She sighed."Everything about me lately has been out of character." Her lips formed a sardonic smile."Do you miss my arrogance and disobedience?"

Sub-Zero hummed thoughtfully."The disobedience seems to have vanished. I cannot say the same for the arrogance, however…" The ghost of a smile touched his lips.

He was teasing her. She raised an eyebrow."This is most unlike you." She mimicked him as best as she could, then glanced back at the window."I really am a handful, aren't I?" Her voice was scarcely above a whisper. She rubbed her broken arm."I'm sorry."

Sub-Zero shook his head."I should be the one apologizing. For not having enough faith in you. I expected you to strike me down the moment Raiden presented his offer. I was...I am-"

"Relieved?" She offered, half-jokingly.

His countenance was one of pure seriousness."Proud. For all your faults, you are strong, clever…and loyal."

She laughed mirthlessly."I don't blame you for not trusting me. I didn't deserve it." Humility may have caused her to say that she still didn't deserve it, but whenever she doubted herself, the encouragement and comfort Sareena provided echoed in her ears.

 _Then you should not sell yourself so short nor allow yourself to bask in overconfidence. You are better than that._

She rubbed her arm a little faster. The pain in that limb as well as her ribs wasn't as bad as it'd been several days ago, but her injuries would take a long time to heal on their own. The same applied to Sub-Zero's wounds. And they were among the lucky ones. Most of their fellow survivors would be permanently crippled without the healing properties of the Jinsei. They needed every able-bodied warrior they could get to win this war. Plus, success meant another chance to laugh at Raiden's loss. The failed attack by the deity and his Netherrealm minions had boosted morale, making it easy for them to agree to enact Sonya Blade's plan.

Those participating in the attack on the Sky Temple, the distraction in Seido, or Caro's rescue would leave hours before sunrise tomorrow. As much as Frost wished to help, she was useless in her current condition. All she could do was trust her allies to succeed in their task and thus ensure her own swift recovery so that she could stop sitting around. At least the grandmaster, despite being wheelchair bound for the time being, attended war preparation meetings with the other leaders. If not for Sareena's company, Frost might have gone stir-crazy.

Frost looked at Sub-Zero, smiled faintly, and nodded. He returned the nod right before a familiar set of footsteps sounded from nearby. Frost unsuccesfully tried to hide a smile when Sareena appeared in the doorway. Sareena and Sub-Zero exchanged nods afore the latter wheeled himself away to give the women some privacy. Frost frowned upon noticing that Sareena hadn't brought her dinner with her this time, as well as the slight tremble in her arm as she gestured for the female cryomancer to come with her. Either Sub-Zero didn't notice this subtle change in the demoness, or his respect and trust for her prevented him from prying, because he gave no indication of noticing anything unusual.

Sareena's smile looked forced. Again she gestured for Frost to go with her. Frost decided to keep quiet until they reached their destination. She grabbed her dinner tray and followed Sareena out of the room.

They speed-walked to Sareena's quarters. Frost waited for Sareena to close the door, then asked,"What's wrong?"

Sareena wrung her hands."I…please keep this between us. I would prefer that no one else, especially Sub-Zero, know about this."

"He's one of the leaders. If it's a serious issue, then you should be telling him about it, not me."

"It is not a main problem." Sareena replied a bit too quickly."It is personal to me."

Frost frowned."I still don't get why-."

Sareena bit her lip."Kuai Liang has enough to worry about right now. I don't wish to add to his burden." She made eye contact with Frost."I simply wish to confide in a friend. That is what we are, correct?"

Frost widened her eyes. Seconds later, however, she nodded."Of course." Never before had they declared their friendship aloud. Not that this lessened its significance. Still, it felt nice to verbally confirm their bond.

"So what's bothering you?" Frost asked. After all the support Sareena had given her in recent time, the least she could do was return the favor.

Her smile was not forced, but soon faded."Do you remember when I went to the Netherrealm to spy on the Brotherhood of Shadows after Orin helped us defeat them?" At Frost's nod, she began wringing her hands again."And you are also aware that Noob Saibot is Emperor of that realm now, yes?"

"Yeah, and so is the Grandmaster." Frost pursed her lips."Listen, I know you said this was personal and not a main issue, but if his brother is involved-"

"Please let me finish." Sareena spoke sternly yet pleadingly. Frost complied, and the demoness continued."While I was there, I discovered something that disturbs me." Frost bit her lip to keep herself from interrupting, instead nodding to indicate that she was listening.

With a sigh, Sareena moved to sit on her bed. Frost sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. As much as she wanted to argue or urge her to finish the story already, she knew that would be unwise and unkind.

Sareena took a deep breath."Noob Saibot is obsessed with me. I overheard some of the demons discussing his attitude in regards to myself, how the oni duo as well as my two former comrades had secretly passed on to them what Shang Tsung had revealed about his alliance with Noob Saibot. As much as Noob Saibot craves power and enjoys his place as ruler of the Netherrealm, I am his true motivation for allying with the sorcerer. He wants to make me his empress, his **property**. Ever since I aided him in defeating Quan Chi, he has developed an obsession with me." Her voice cracked slightly then, but she pushed forward."They said he is willing to kill his own brother and anyone else who stands in his way to get what he wants. And he does not care if I am willing or not. He is certain he can **persuade** me to see things his way if I am unwilling to be with him, though he is confident that I will gladly become his." Anger replaced distress as her expression hardened."Apparently, Kia and Jataaka considered me unworthy of such an honor. Though they have no love or loyalty for Noob Saibot, they once again believe I am the lucky one. They envied my position as Quan Chi's concubine because his desire to preserve my beauty meant I did not suffer as much as they did on missions, and they **still** view me as an ungrateful, unworthy witch." She ran a hand over her face."I did not stay to hear the rest of the conversation, though I am certain Shang Tsung plans to betray Noob Saibot and may try to recruit myself and Ashrah. I do not doubt that the feeling of disloyalty is mutual for both sides of that alliance."

Her story finished, Sareena stared at the floor while Frost took a moment to process what she'd just heard. Though she understood why Sareena wished for Sub-Zero not to know and agreed that was it was indeed a personal problem for the other woman as well as minor compared to their other issues, she still wanted to tell Sub-Zero about it. To do so would add to his stress, but he would want to know. He deserved to know. She shook her head, knowing that arguing would be pointless and also not wanting to break the trust her friend had placed in her by confiding in her.

Sareena did not lift her gaze from the floor even as she spoke."As long as we win this war, we needn't worry about this obsession of his. H-He may even be killed the tournament, though I strongly doubt that." She rubbed her temples."I'm sorry to burden you with my-"

"You didn't have to be my friend, you know." Frost whispered, gazing at her lap."You didn't have to comfort me when I talked about my grief, flaws, and past. You didn't have to make me feel better about myself." She looked at Sareena with a smile."You didn't have to do anything for me. You could have ignored me, but you didn't. And I'll always be grateful for that." She squeezed her friend's shoulder."So don't think that I won't offer you whatever support I can too. Like I said earlier, we're friends. So if just talking about this makes you feel the slightest bit better, then don't hesitate to talk my ear off." Her tone was half-joking, half-serious when she uttered that last sentence.

Sareena studied her for several seconds before a slow, wide, genuine smile spread across her face. She nodded."Thank you. I will keep that in mind."

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 _Please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!_

 _Next up: Chapter 95:Sindel II_


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